I am Kyuubi?
by Acara Whitefox
Summary: This is the story of Team 7, where the impossible is made possible every other day. Follow the story of the reincarnated fox, the cursed crow, and the cat's desendent as they become legends seen only once in a lifetime.
1. Prologue

**Authors Note:** This is my first story, so plz be considerate when commenting.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. I did not create this idea, that would be Nekoni who's link is on my profile.

* * *

Legend

_thoughts_

**demonic voice or large creature**

jutsu/technique

* * *

**Prologue**

Nine billowing tails fanned out from behind the great fox. Kyuubi was it's name, one of the great demons known as the Bijuu by the flesh-walkers. With one flick of it's tail, the fox brought mountains to the ground, with another, raised tsunami's in the lakes near by.

The fox leaped over the platoon of silver-eyed male and females towards the village it so hoped to destroy, to be quickly met be a group of red-eyed fighters. Not wanting to look into their eyes, Kyuubi crushed them with a massive paw. The red-eyes of his opponents would frighten him no more.

Lunging towards a trio of humans, the fox was quickly stopped by a flash of yellow light. A man, with hair as yellow as the orb that illuminated the sky everyday, stood before him. No fear reeked from his pores.

"_This one is a worthy opponent_," the great fox thought.

Just then, the Great Flash, as the Kyuubi had dubbed him, smashed a sphere of blue energy into his mussel. Howling in pain, the fox stumbled back into the forest behind. A flash to his right told him the man had moved again and was standing atop a gigantic toad.

"**Gamablunta,**" Kyuubi yelled, "**I see the scar remains on your eye from the last battle we had!**"

If the Boss Toad was intimidated, he did not show it. Instead, the Great Flash began to make hand signs (a foolish human invention to channel chakra).

"Kyuubi no Kitsune, your reign of terror ends now! Izanagi no Giri!"

A flash of bright white light was the last thing the great fox saw.

Twelve years later, a boy named Uzumaki Naruto woke from a terrible dream, tears flowing from his face.

* * *

**Glossary**

**Izanagi no Giri:** God of Life's Duty

**Gamablunta:** Boss Toad

**Kyuubi no Kitsune:** Nine Tailed Fox

**Uzumaki:** Whirlpool

**Naruto:** fishcake (ramen topping)

**Bijuu:** Tailed Demon

* * *

**Author's Note:** It was all a dream, or is it? The technique that the Fourth used was definately not the Dead Demon Consuming Seal. Plz read and review. Don't expect an update soon. I have exams. 


	2. Chapter 1

**Hey, I'm back! Hope you like the story so far. The new chapter introduces more changes to the plotline. Just so you know, the pairings are as Canon as I can make them. That means:**

Onesided NaruSaku

Onesided SasuSaku

Onesided SasuIno

Onesided NaruHina

Onesided KibaHina (at least I think this one is canon, I won't be touched upon a lot)

AsuKur

KakaLittleOrangeBook

There is one more onesided pairing near the end, but it's more of a scary onesided OC pairing.

**Disclaimer:** see the prologue

* * *

Legend

_thoughts_

**demonic voice/really big creature**

jutsu/technique

* * *

**Chapter 1**

"I had that dream again"

"The one where-"

"Yah"

Naruto and his father, Namikaze Minato, sat at the table. It was Naruto's graduation exam today at the academy and he was ready to roll. His father, though, had a different opinion.

"Naruto, you've failed the past two exams. You need all the luck you can get now to pass."

"DAD! Have you no faith in you replacement?! Luck is for losers like Sasuke!" the whiskered boy shouted.

"Naruto, hate to say it, but you're kind of hopeless. You can't even perform bushin no jutsu. Now hurry up and eat or you'll be later for class," the Yondiame added.

Running at top speed, the Hokage's son reached the Academy in record time. He had taken many of the back streets to avoid the hateful glares of the villagers.

"_Why do they always look at me like that?_," he wondered, "_Sure I play pranks, but those looks are way over the top!_"

Sitting down as far away from Sasuke as he could, Iruka-sensei walked in to tell them what was on the exam.

"When I call your name, I want you to come into this room and perform the bushin no jutsu. Please create three clones and I will give you your headband which will signify that you are an adult and a ninja of Konoha."

"_Oh no, not __bushin__! That's my worst jutsu ever!_" thought Naruto harshly.

"What's the matter dobe," whispered Sasuke from his spot (apparently far was not far enough), "Shouldn't the son of the Yondiame Hokage be able to perform a simple bushin?"

"SHUT UP SASUKE! I'LL POUND YOU INTO THE DIRT!"

"Hn"

"Uzumaki Naruto."

"_Here goes nothing…_"

Alas, the Future Hokage of Konoha had no such luck. Having weak control over the insanely large amount of chakra he had, the bushin no jutsu was too small for Naruto, barely producing half a useable clone.

"Naruto, YOU FAIL!"

Sent running from the room in shame, Naruto hoped out the window in a flash of orange and onto the swing outside. There, the crowds of happy parents and newly-made ninja swarmed at the entrance to the academy. His father was too busy with work to pick him up.

"Is he the only kid who didn't pass?"

The sound of a woman's voice make Naruto focus his attention to the crowd.

"Yah, thank god. This think if he – no it – became a ninja? I mean after what he is-"

"Shhh, we're not supposed to talk about that!"

"_What I am? What are they not supposed to talk about? What am I so different? Why does everyone hate me? Why-_"

"Naruto…?"

"Mizuki-senei! What are you doing here?"

"Can I talk with you for a minute?"

And Mizuki explained. He explained everything to the silent Naruto: how he though Iruka's decision was unfair and if he wanted to pass, he would have to use what was called the scroll method.

"The scroll method? What's that?" asked Naruto.

"Don't tell me that your dad never mentioned it! It was how he passed his genin exam! All you have to do is steal the Scroll of Sealing and learn one jutsu from it and POOF you're a genin!"

"Really wow. Later Mizuki-sensei! I gotta go find this scroll! Bye," Naruto ran of without a second thought.

"_All is falling into place, little monster. Soon you will be dead, and the Kyuusaisha will finally have their revenge!_"

Later that night, Naruto snuck into the Hokage Tower. His feet barely making a sound, he passed through the halls and doors he knew so well. Passing by one door, the whiskered child reveled in his plight when-

"Naruto, what are you doing?"

Crap, his dad had caught him in the middle of the ultimate graduation scheme. Naruto turned to his father to see he was not alone. Hatake Kakashi and Hyuuga Hiashi sat the table with his father. Along with them were Hyuuga Hinata (Hiashi's daughter) and Hyuuga Neji (Hiashi's nephew). Kakashi sat with his adopted son, Uchiha Sasuke.

"NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS DAD!" Naruto yelled back, but in the back of his mind wondered, "_What the hell are they doing here? A dinner party? Why was I not informed?_"

"Naruto, you failed the graduation exam again today, didn't you?" the Yondiame Hokage said in a serious voice.

"Yes, he did," sneered Sasuke-teme (as Naruto had dubbed him), "The Dobe of the Year!"

"SHUT UP! I'M GUNNA GRADUATE NOW! MIZUKI-SENSEI JUST TOLD ME THAT IF I STEAL THE SCROLL OF SEALING I-"

"NARUTO SHUT UP!" yelled his father, "Sasuke, Hinata, Neji, leave the room now!"

"Yes sir," the two Hyuuga children obeyed his orders, but the Uchiha was stubborn.

"No, I don't see what's so secret!" Sasuke argued, "You can say anything in front of me-" In a flash of yellow light the Rookie of the Year was transported outside.

"Naruto, what did Mizuki tell you?" asked Kakashi.

"He told me that if I steal the Scroll of Sealing and learn one jutsu from it I would become a genin," Naruto answered in an uncharacteristically meek voice, "I don't understand. What's going on?"

"Naruto," Hiashi replied, "that scroll is full of Forbidden Jutsu's that were banned because they are known to cause the death of the user."

"_Mizuki-sensei was trying to kill me?!"_ Naruto thought.

"Naruto, I have a proposal for you," Minato said, "Not as my so, but as a ninja of Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

"But dad, I failed my graduation exam today. I'm no ninja."

"Go on this B Ranked mission for me and I will award you your genin rank. Kakashi you follow Naruto," his father promised.

"Yes sir."

"But dad-"

"Don't worry. Besides, you couldn't perform the Bushin no Jutsu right?" said the Hokage with the trademark grin his had passed on to his son.

* * *

"Ugh, Kage Bushin no Jutsu! Don't tell me that's what dad was talking about!" Naruto whined. Sitting on the forest floor, the scroll opened in front of him, the boy studied the first jutsu. It didn't seem that hard. In fact, Naruto couldn't see why it was forbidden. Then he read:

"Once dispelled, the clones transfer all knowledge gained to the original person and/or all the other clones in existence…"

Ah, brain cramps. The downfall of all shinobi.

As time passed, Kakashi watched the young ninja-in-training try over and over again to create a kage bushin. He was making progress, and lots of it. The masked man was in shock when the blond boy created his first solid clone within the hour.

A snapping twig brought Naruto to his senses. But the person was not who he was expecting.

"Naruto," yelled Iruka, "I found you! Why did you steal the scroll?!"

"Iruka-sensei, you have to get out of here quick!"

"No way, Mizuki told everyone about you stealing the scroll of sealing. The entire village is looking for you!"

"_Iruka's here! That means…_" Kakashi spotted the traitor in the distance, "_Mizuki's tailing him._"

"NARUTO! GET DOWN!" Iruka shoved his student out of the way of several flying kunai.

"Good job finding him, Iruka. Now hand over the scroll, Naruto! Hand it over so I can kill you!" spat Mizuki.

"Mizuki-sensei! Why? Why are you doing this?!" Naruto said in a frightened voice.

"Don't call me that, you monster! Tonight you will pay for those you've killed!" he answered in an insane voice.

"Pay…for those…I've killed…?" Naruto was confused by the statement.

"Naruto! Don't listen to him!" cried his scarred Sensei, "Just run away!"

"Let me refresh your memory, Naruto!" sneered Mizuki, his voice cracking with madness, "Twelve years ago, the Demon Fox, Kyuubi, attacked Konoha. It was said that the Yondiame, your father, killed the fox! What a great story! A brilliant cover-up!"

"NO STOP IT MIZUKI!"

"_Crap_," thought the masked man in the shadows, "_If I don't stop him now, he'll tell Naruto about Kyuubi! But if I do, we'll never get any information out of him!_"

"But the truth was deemed to be an S-class secret that no one could speak of!" Mizuki paused to a dramatic affect, "The truth, Naruto, is that you ARE Kyuubi no Kitsune!"

"NO!" tears streamed down Naruto's face. His grief and anguish gave rise to red chakra: eyes slitting, turning red; fangs and claws growing from his hands and mouth; whisker marks deepening.

"_Not good!_" thought Kakashi.

"That's not true," shouted Iruka, "The Yondiame only sealed the Kyuubi inside Naruto!"

"_Just die!_"

"Since when have you been so stupid, Iruka?!" challenged Mizuki, "To do that, the Yondiame would have to use the Skiki Fuujin, a jutsu which results in the users death!"

"_It…it can't be true,_" though Iruka, "_But the Yondiame's…alive…That means…Naruto is…Kyuubi!_"

"HA! YOUR PRESIOUS STUDENT KILLED YOUR PARENTS, IRUKA!" the madman screamed, "DON'T WORRY! IT'LL ALL BE OVER SOON! I'LL KILL THE LITTLE MONSTER AND STEAL THE SCROLL, JUST AS THE KYUUSAISHA ORDERED!"

"That's enough, Mizuki," the cool and calm Kakashi stepped from the shadows and placed a kunai to Mizuki's throat.

"_Go away!_"

"Hatake Kakashi! Why are you defending him?! When you of all people know the entire truth?"

"That would be why I'm defending him," the answer just enraged Mizuki more.

"You dirt! Don't you want to extract your revenge on the monster that killed so many all those years ago?"

"No," Kakashi replied, "For there is much more to life than revenge."

"_Monster!_"

"Yah, like what?" the sarcasm dripping from his voice, "Kyuubi took away EVERYTHING! All that is let now is Power and Revenge! The second you take your eyes off that monster, Kyuusaisha will strike! And we'll kill anyone that stands in our way! Even our foolish Yondiame Hokage! We'll-"

"Yeah, yeah, and you can go on," a swift chop to the neck silenced the traitorous teacher.

"_Stay away from my daughter!_"

"Naruto, we're going!" the masked man turned to the boy, "Naruto…"

"_MONSTER!_"

* * *

**Glossary:**

**Namikaze:** Wind and Waves

**Minato:** Port or Harbour

**Bushin no Jutsu:** Art of the Clone

**Sasuke:** a hero in Japanese culture

**Yondiame:** Fourth

**Iruka:** Dolphin

**Konoha:** Leaf

**Dobe:** Dead Last

**Hokage:** Fire Shadow

**Genin:** Junior Level Ninja

**Kyuusiasha:** savoir

**Hatake:** Field or Farmland

**Kakashi:** scarecrow

**Hiashi:** spreading of fire

**Hinata:** Sunny place, in the sun

**Neji:** screw

**Uchiha:** fan that controls the flame

**Kage Bushin no Jutsu:** Art of the Shadow Clone

* * *

It's over sighs that was longish. Hurray! The first swear word in my story is "Crap!" Crap, if I have to say so myself, is a very satifying word to say. But that all if for another time.

So, Naruto is Kyuubi, not Kyuubi is sealed inside Naruto. And Naruto has a dad! And before I get any reviews about it, no Kushina will not be showing up in the fic (as mush as I love her). Naruto was born Kyuubi, an immortal demon fox, he was not born a human.

A little teaser for the next chapter:

_"Why do I have to be with Naruto?" the pink-haired girl asked, "He'll mess up everything! He's just a monster like everyone-"_

So, R&R plz! I need reviews! I crave them!


	3. Chapter 2

**I'm back! Team 7 angst heading your way! The begining is told from Sasuke's point of view. He's so funny to write!**

**I've beem getting a lot of review saying that this is similar to Nekoni's Naruto Tensei. Please stop saying that! I know it is. I also know that after this chapter, it goes my way. So please, it's getting very annoying.**

**This is dedicated to my first reviewer, kyuubu no kituson! Thank you to every else that reviewed!**

**Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue, me no own nothing, so you no sue.**

* * *

Legend 

_thoughts_

**demonic voice/large animal**

jutsu/tecnique

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Uchiha Sasuke, Rookie of the Year, last Uchiha in Konoha, and Inheritor of the legacy of the Sharingan, walked the Academy classroom for the last time. He came early everyday so that he could avoid the fangirls that followed him everywhere he went. He looked for his favourite spot, only to see that it had been taken. Not wanting to cause a commotion (for it could call the fangirls), he sat beside the boy.

At least wanting to know the name of the person who dared to take his spot, Sasuke looked to his right and saw-

"N-Naruto?!" The dobe! But how? He failed his graduation exam! The young Uchiha was about to kick the boy out when he saw the blue Hitai-ate gleaming on the blonde's forehead.

"What do you want, Sasuke?" replied Naruto, which scared Sasuke even more. No declarations stating that he would pound him into the floor. No goofy grin painted across his face. Naruto had even called Sasuke by his real name instead of the customary teme.

"_Who is this kid and what has he done his the dobe? This Naruto is quiet and practically gloomy! What the hell happened last night?_"

The classroom filled with newly made ninja. Two girls – Sakura and Ino (Sasuke at least thought that was her name) stumbled into class shouting at each other about winning something (Sasuke hoped he wasn't the prize of said competition). The pink-haired girl look his way, eyes lighting up.

"_Crap, she spotted me!_" the black-haired boy looked for exits (covered by fangirls), teachers (distracted by fangirls), heck, Sasuke was so desperate he even considered sending a plea to Naruto to do something, ANYTHING, to distract Sakura from coming his way. But, no, his last escape route sat in the Uchiha's favourite spot, acting emo.

"HIIIIIII, Sasuke! Can I sit next to you?" Damn! He was too late. The enemy was within his personal bubble and there was no backing out on it now!

"_Ok, Sasuke, stay calm! Don't show weakness, coldly shove her off, and continue sending the "I'm-to-cool-for-you" vibe. Yah, that'll work…please work!"_

"Go away," Sasuke prayed that she would listen.

Unfortunately, Lady Luck was not on his side.

"But, there's no other open spot," Sakura gave him a look that made him want to run far, far, away. But it was the truth. All the other spots were filled with the other graduates, who were talking amongst themselves. Sasuke was about to send a remark the girl's way that would break her heart when-

"Sasuke, just let Sakura-chan sit next to you," Naruto said. Now Sasuke knew something was wrong. He had noticed long ago that the blond had a crush on his pink-haired stalker. But letting the girl of his dreams sit beside his eternal rival was unheard of. Sasuke was about to interrogate the living daylights out of the blonde about what had happened the night before when Sakura slid into the spot beside him and latched onto him with speed that would have matched even a jonin.

"Wanna go on a date later, Sasuke?" Said boy shivered at the thought. Didn't she see that he was not interested?

Forcing down several profanities, Sasuke said no as fast as he could and detached himself from her even quicker.

Just then, Hatake Kakashi, his adoptive father, walked into the classroom.

"_THANK KAMI THAT HE'S ONLY FIVE MINUTES LATE AND NOT THREE HOURS LATE LIKE HE GENERALLY IS! THANK YOU KAMI!_"

"Good morning, class. Iruka has been…detained…today, so I'm filling in for him. I'm going to assign you your teams today."

"Excuse me, sensei!" Sakura called from her spot, "Who are you? You haven't introduced yourself."

"My name is Hatake Kakashi and that's all you need to know. You're Sakura right. Sasuke talks about you all the time at home."

Hearts filled the girl's eyes.

"He _hates_ you."

The girl nearly died right there.

"Now let's see. Team One is…"

"_I'm glad Naruto-kun passed,_" thought Hinata, "_But he looks so sad…I wonder what happened to him._"

"_The dobe is quiet_," thought Sasuke, "_Too quiet_."

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei," spat Sakura, "Naruto failed his graduation exam, you should kick him out!"

"Last night, Naruto successfully completed a B-Ranked mission and earned his genin rank," answered the masked man at the front of the class.

Whispers filled the classroom.

"Did you here that?"

"There's no way-"

"He's the dobe of the year!"

"_A B-Rank?!_" the Uchiha wondered, "_That suggests genin or chuunin ranked combat. Naruto mentioned Mizuki-senei last night, and he's a chuunin. Hmm_"

"Team Seven: Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke. Congratulations. You're with me."

SLAM. Sasuke's forehead met the table.

"Why do I have to be with Naruto?" the pink-haired girl asked, "He'll mess up everything! He's just a monster like everyone-"

"SHUT UP SAKURA-CHAN!" Naruto aimed a punch at her, tears in his eyes, only to be stopped by Sasuke.

"NARUTO, SIT DOWN!" Kakashi yelled while thinking, "_An emotional wreck, a Loudmouth fangirl, and an Egotistical Uchiha. Why did I get assigned the emotional-baggage group? Sasuke's gonna brood when I fail him!_"

"Thanks, Sasuke-kun!" said Sakura.

"Don't mention it," scowled Sasuke, "Ever."

* * *

Two blondes sat at the table, slurping ramen. Or, at least one was. The younger at the two stared at his food, as if wishing that it would devour him instead. 

"Naruto," asked his father, "What's the matter?"

Hair covering his eyes, Naruto began to shake, tears forming as Minato got up and walked over to him. As they fell in streams down his cheeks, Naruto rushed to his father, catching him off guard.

"Naruto?"

"How can you even bare to look at me?" the child asked in a shaking voice.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm that damned fox that attacked Konoha twelve years ago, right! I'm a freak, a monster! I'm the beast that everyone calls me!" Naruto cried.

"So that's it. You think you're a monster," said his father philosophically.

"Of course I am," Naruto practically shouted, "I'm the human form of the Kyuubi!"

"Naruto, do you know what makes a monster a monster?"

"A monster…I don't know…"

"A monster is not defined by shape or size or how many people it kills. It is not defined by the origins of it's soul or anything that trivial. A monster is a being without love.

"I gave you my eyes, Naruto, so that you could see. I gave you my heart so that you could love. Can you see love, Naruto?"

"_Love?_" Naruto thought. "_Can I see love?_"

He thought of his father and his friends at the academy. He thought of Iruka-sensei, who cared for him during his early days. He thought of Sakura, who he cared for with all his heart, even though she was in love with his rival. Heck, he even thought of the teme himself.

"Yes dad, I think I can."

The two embraced in a hug, trademark smiles painted on each of their faces.

"Now that that matter is cleared up," said Minato with a cheeky grin, "I think I'll finish up this ramen cup for you before it gets too cold!"

"LIKE HELL YOU ARE!" yelled Naruto, giving his father a good kick to the head, "I LOVE YOU, BUT I LOVE RAMEN MORE!"

Ah, family bonding at the Hokage tower. How lovely…

* * *

**Glossary:**

**Sharingan:** Mirror-wheel eye

**Sakura:** cherry blossom

**Ino:** pig

**Haruno:** Spring Field

**Teme:** bastard

* * *

**Um, yah. That's it for now. Let's see what my crystal ball predicts for the next chapter.**

_"My name is Hatake Kakashi. I like...stuff. I dislike...stuff. My hobbies and dreams for the future are none of your business."_

**Ok, you know what that means. BELL TEST! Yes I am doing one. This story branches out from Nekoni-sama's right now!**

**Plz R&R**

**Whitefox**


	4. Chapter 3

**Hi again! The story branches of from Nekoni's right now! This is MY plot now[insert evil laughter here.**

**This chapter is dedicated to my tenth reviewer, and one of my favourite authors, Reidluver.**

**Disclaimer: me no own, you no sue

* * *

**

**Chapter 3**

"Bye, Dad! See you tonight after the genin test!" shouted Naruto.

"Ok, Naruto. Just remember what I told you!" his father reminded him.

"Later!"

Sprinting to the field where Team 7 was to meet, the fox boy began to wonder just what was in store for today. Kakashi-sensei had told them that they were to gather at Training Grounds 7 to introduce each other. He had also mentioned something about a test with a 66 fail rate and that if they ate breakfast, the three of them would probably throw up. Naruto, being the rule breaker from day one, ate a small breakfast and brought some snacks for his teammates.

"Hi, Sakura-chan!" he shouted upon seeing his pink-haired crush, "Sorry about yesterday. I had…a bad night." That remark brought a suspicious look to Sasuke's face.

"Oh," she said, clearly thinking that he was still angry at her, "I'm sorry about calling you a monster anyways."

A care-free smile appeared on his face, Naruto gazed into her eyes. She was beautiful to him, one of the few people he had remembered when Minato had asked the blonde-haired boy if he could see love. It was because of her that Naruto stopped thinking that he was a monster.

"Dad – I mean Kakashi-sensei – will probably three hours late," explained Sasuke, "We might as well sit down."

"Well, in that case," said Naruto, digging in his bag for the snacks he brought, "you guys should eat these."

"NARUTO!" Sakura yelled, "You heard Kakashi-sensei yesterday: We aren't allowed to eat breakfast!"

"She's right, dobe."

"Ninja are supposed to look underneath the underneath. You said yourself, teme, that Kakashi-sensei will be at least three hours late. If we are to anything useful, we have to eat, or be too hungry to fight," the reaction of his two teammates was priceless.

"_The dobe just said something that wasn't useless!_"

"_Naruto's right…but how?_"

Handing the food to his deadpanned teammates, Naruto sat down to wait for his sensei. He had decided last night to drop the idiot act and act a little more mature. This was considering that the "mask" that he wore had completely broken off after he had found out that he was in fact the human form of Kyuubi no Kitsune. To reconstruct a new one now would be impossible, so why not just go with the flow. The new Naruto was a better ninja anyways **(AN: not in the way that he was more powerful, just smarter, and a lot easier to write)**

And so the team waited for their sensei.

And waited…

And waited…

And waited…

"Soooo, teme?" Naruto finally asked, "Did Kakashi-sensei ever mention anything about what the test was about?"

"No," the Uchiha answered, "Just that every team that he's ever used this test on failed."

"Oh."

"_Not good!_"

After about two hours, the conversation started again.

"Dobe?"

"What?"

"I'm sure Sakura's wondering too," Sasuke asked, "What was that B-Rank mission you went on about?"

All eyes were on Naruto.

"Why?," the blonde answered with a grin, "Scared because I'm ahead of you in missions now?"

"No. A B-Rank mission suggests a high possibility of genin or chuunin combat," Sasuke stated, "You mentioned Mizuki-sensei before I was transported out of the room. And the next day nether of our senseis show up. Coincidence? I think not."

The boy's words hung in the air. A shadow appeared in Naruto's eyes.

"I-"

POOF! "Yo!"

"YOU'RE LATE!"

"Sorry, sorry. It appears that I got lost on the road of life."

"Cut the crap, sensei," Sakura yelled, "Let's just get this over with."

"Alright, everyone introduce yourself. Starting with your name, likes, dislikes, hobbies, and dreams for the future."

"Sensei," the pink-haired girl asked, "Why don't you tell us about yourself."

"Well, my name is Hatake Kakashi. I like…stuff. I dislike…stuff. My hobbies and dreams are none of your business."

"_Ok, that was useless._"

"Pinky, your up next."

"I'm Haruno Sakura. What I like…I mean the person I like is…uh…my hobby is…uh…my dream for the future is…" All the time she glanced back and forth to her black-haired teammate.

"And what do you hate?" asked Kakashi.

"NARUTO!"

Said boy's heart fell in his chest.

"_Girls her age as more interested in boys than in ninja training_," the masked man thought.

"Sasuke, you're next."

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I hate a lot of things, and I don't particularly like anything. My dream – no – ambition for the future is…to become stronger. Strong enough to prevent something like the Uchiha Massacre from ever happening again."

"_It's a good thing we got him out of the 'I'm-an-Avenger' stage._"

"Last one."

"My name is U-"

He stopped for a second. Originally, Naruto was going to say something relating entirely about ramen. Wanting to prove to the others that he was more than the screw up ninja that everyone thought he was, the boy continued.

"My name is Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto. I like the certain people that treat me with respect and not like dirt. I dislike people who attack the village and look at me like I'm a monster. My hobby is pranking which helps me form on-the-go tactics. My dream for the future is to replace my father as Hokage and right the wrongs my old self."

"_So, this is what learning about the Kyuubi has done for the boy. Good job, Naruto!_"

"_Right the wrongs of his old self?_" wondered Sasuke, "_What's that all about?_"

"Well, we might as well get started," said Kakashi. He set a timer on a nearby rock. "It's set for noon. Get these two bells from me before then and you pass."

"What's the catch?" asked Naruto, "There's always a catch."

"Right you are, Naruto. The person who doesn't get one will be tied to those posts over there and watch as I eat my lunch in front of them."

"_THANK KAMI NARUTO BROUGHT FOOD!" _was the thought running through Sasuke and Sakura's minds.

"Wait a minute!" said Sakura, "There's three of us and only two bells."

"That means that there is at least one person that is tied to the post and ultimately, shipped back to the academy."

The air around the genin tensed.

"_Something off,_" though Naruto, "_I always see teams of three genin going out when dad hands out missions._"

"You can use any weapon, even shuiken and kunai. If you don't come at me with the intent to kill, you'll never get a bell."

"But sensei! Those weapons are too dangerous. We could hurt you!" cried Sakura.

"Don't worry, Sakura," said Naruto, "Kakashi-sensei is a jounin. He couldn't have gotten to the position he's in now without being able to dodge a kunai."

"Oh…"

"Thank you, Naruto. Now…ready…BEGIN!"

The three genin disappeared into the bushes.

"A ninja must know how to conceal their movements and hide effectively. It looks like they understand that part."

Naruto gazed upon his sensei with a look of confusion. According to the rules, the test seamed to be designed to push the three of them apart, saying that the person who did not get a bell by noon would go without lunch. But still, all the genin teams he had seen were of three members only. But Kakashi-sensei's test could only pass two…

"_A ninja must always look underneath the underneath_." His dad had said that for the umpteenth time this morning. Why was it bugging him?

Naruto knew of Kakashi of the Sharingan Eye (for some reason, that always made him tremble). He had heard stories from his father about the man who had copied over a thousand jutsu. A single genin had no chance of getting a bell from the man, let alone land a punch. The only way to get a bell was to-

That was it! They had to work together! The test was designed to split them apart in every way, but a ninja was always supposed to look underneath the underneath. Naruto mentally thanked his father for engraving those words into his head since as long as he could remember. Creating a kage bushin to distract Kakashi-sensei by doing a very Naruto-like thing, he went off in search of Sakura.

He found her running in the general direction of Sasuke. Sensing that his clone had dispersed from a strange jutsu called Konohagakure Furui Taijutsu no Ougi: Sennen Goroshi (a jutsu which Naruto made a mental note to avoid at all costs in the future) and that Kakashi-sensei was heading this way. He jumped down and grabbed her by the waist. Screaming at him to let her go, she tried punching him in the back of the head.

"Shhh! Kakashi-sensei's coming this way!" That shut her up.

Jumping behind a tree, he placed a hand on her mouth. Standing too close for comfort to her so his bright orange clothing wouldn't be seen, Naruto listened for footsteps.

"Strange," the fox boy heard Kakashi say, "I could have sworn…" leaping away into the cover of the trees.

"That was close," said Naruto, uncovering Sakura's mouth and turning to her, "Another moment and-"

He stopped right there, his stomach doing a complicated series of gymnastic tricks. His face was inches away from hers. A blush that rivaled Hinata's worked it's way onto his checks. His sensitive nose picked up the smell of the cherries the beautiful girl was named after. The softness of her skin sent bolts of electricity through his veins as his hand trailed down her arm. It was intoxicating, was fighting the enticing thought of lowering his mouth onto hers was an almost impossible task. They were alone…so very alone. His will breaking, Naruto closed his eyes and slowly, millimeter by millimeter, began to close the distance between the two.

"Sakura-chan…" he breathed out, his heart racing.

"Naruto?" The sound of her sing-song voice brought him to his senses. "Thanks for saving me back there."

Stepping back from Sakura, Naruto felt relief and regret washing over him.

"We need to team up with Sasuke if we have any chance of getting a bell."

"But there are only two bells, Naruto," she reminded him as if taking to a child, "One of us is going to fail anyways."

"Then I'll fail," he said, surprising her, "You and Sasuke have nothing to improve on in the academy. And besides, who would want the dobe of the year on their team?" Grief and sorrow filled his eyes. Unknown to the two of them, Naruto's eyes flashed red for a second.

"Naruto…"

"Come on. If I'm not going to pass then I'll make sure you two do!" he said with his trademark grin.

"_Naruto, did you grow up when I wasn't looking?_" Sakura thought, "_And what was all that about just now_?"

* * *

"Even after all those years, Sasuke," Kakashi said, his single eye an upside-down U, "you still fall for the lowliest tricks." 

The young Uchiha was now neck deep in the ground. Letting out a stream of curse words that would raise the rating of this story to M, he continued his ice-cold glare towards his adopted father and teacher.

Chuckling, Kakashi opened his book once more and walked away, intent on finding Sakura, who had mysteriously gone missing.

Sasuke struggled with all his might, hoping that he could escape before-

"So, Sasuke, how's the weather down there?"

Damn, Naruto had spotted him. He was never going to live this down.

"Sasuke-kun!"

Sakura, too? What was she doing with him? Didn't she hate his guts?

The girl began to dig Sasuke out of the ground with a kunai, while Naruto explained what they had come up with.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, dobe, but I see the logic in your idea," said Sasuke, "But you forget one thing: HOW exactly are we going to get the bells?"

"That is where you come in, teme," said Naruto with a smile, "I mean, you live with the guy. What are his habits, dislike, likes…stuff like that?"

Sasuke looked up to the sky for a minute before answering, "No one knows a lot about Kakashi. All that I've been able to pick up over the years is that the famous copy cat ninja was a pathological liar, an exposed pervert, and chronically tardy all in one. He reads that perverted novel any chance he gets."

"Has Kakashi-sensei ever mentioned any characters from that book before," asked the blonde, a wicked grin appearing on his face.

"NARUTO, YOU PERVERT!" yelled Sakura, hitting his head.

"No! No! See, this is what we do…"

* * *

Kakashi sat under a tree, giggling naughtily while reading his favourite book. 

"_Jiriaya, where do you get this sort of stuff!_" he wondered.

A rustle in the bushes brought him back to the real world. His three students sprung from the cover of the trees.

"_Fools, attacking me head on. At least they got the teamwork thing down._"

"NARUTO! Do it now!" yelled Sasuke.

"Right! Kakashi-sensei! In IchaIcha Tactics, the main character really-"

"NO! SPOILERS!" the masked man yelled, covering his ears and eyes so he would not know the ending to his precious book.

A slight tug at his waist told him the true nature of his teams plans. He opened his eyes to see Sakura handing a bell to Sasuke.

RIIINNNGGG! The timer on the rocks when off. Sighing, he threw a kunai at it.

"_Now_," he thought, "_Can you guys pass part two?_"

"Very well. You guys know the drill. Sakura and Sasuke, here's your lunch," Kakashi said, passing them a pair of boxes, "Naruto, you're tied to the poll. Afterwards, you will be shipped back to the academy. Give Naruto any food, and I will fail you all." And with that, the Copy Cat ninja disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Sakura looked down at her meal.

"_Naruto, sacrificed everything for us. And now he's going back to the academy because of this stupid test._" Not even the thought of being on a team alone with Sasuke could make up for the guilt she felt inside.

"Naruto?" she said in a small voice.

"What is it, Sakura-chan?"

Looking down at her meal once again (instead of hungry, it made her feel sick), she replied, "Here."

Naruto's eye's widened as she used her chopsticks to snare a chunk of rice with her chopsticks.

"W-what…?"

"Just open up, Naruto! I'm not going to do this again."

Sasuke stared at her with a mix of admiration and disgust. Breaking the rules to help the dobe was one thing, but feeding him? Eew…

"Thanks Sakura-chan," Naruto said, swallowing the piece she held out.

Suddenly, the skies darkened. With a crack of lightning, Kakashi appeared, livid with rage.

"YOU…pass!"

"P-pass?!" the three managed to stutter.

"Congratulations! You are the first team to see behind my deception. Working together, even though one of you was to fail.

"Sasuke: you put aside your ego and helped Naruto and Sakura, even though you could have easily said no.

"Sakura: you not only helped Naruto convince Sasuke to help you, but feed Naruto when he was tied to the poll. It's because of you the team pass part two of the test.

"Naruto: you figured out the meaning of the test and relayed the message on to the others. You saved Sakura from the genjutsu attack I was planning. You sacrificed yourself for the team.

"Remember these works, Team 7, for we will live and breathe them: Ninja's who break the rules in this world are trash. But those who abandon their friends are even worse.

"Now let's go. Team 7 starts missions tomorrow!"

* * *

**Glossary:**

**Konohagakure Furui Taijutsu no Ougi: Sennen Goroshi:** The Hidden Leaf Village's Prized Super Secret Jutsu: One Thousand Years of Death

**IchaIcha:** Make Out

* * *

**Another chapter down! A mature Naruto is more a lot more easy to write than an energetic one.**

**What does my crystal ball say for the future:**

_"I'm not an idiot anymore, dad! Sakura's got the brains of some of your chuunin! Sasuke's a total power house! Our sensei is the famous Coy Cat Ninja, Hatake Kakashi of the Sharingan Eye. We can hanlde a C-Rank mission. My graduation mission was a higher rank than this!"_

**Before I go, I would like to ask a question. To whom ever gets it right, the next chapter will be dedicated to them. So here it is:**

"What is Naruto's fear?"** I've mentioned it twice already.**

**Also, I'm introducing my first pole. Do you what Haku and Zabuza to live or die?**

**C U L8R**

**Whitefox**


	5. Chapter 4

**Hi! I'm back! Chapter 4 is up! **

**Sadly no one got the answer right on the first time around.**

**It appears that Naruto fears the Sharingan. This is mentioned in the Prologue (where as Kyuubi, he crushes the red-eyed warriors before he could look in their eyes) and in Chapter 3 (where as Naruto, he trembles at Kakashi's title).**

**This chapter is dedicated to **_GAU28 _**for getting it on the second time. If I missed you and you got it too, please tell me. It's 7:30 in the morning and I can't think to well.**

**Good guesses to everyone else.**

**Naruto, disclaimer please.**

**Naruto: (sigh) Whitefox-chan would like to say that she owns a laptop, desk, and chair. Nothing else. So please don't sue her. She barely has enough money to pay me for saying this (stupid D-Rank missions)

* * *

**

**Chapter 4**

"Everyone in position?"

"Hai."

"Yah!"

"Hn."

"Alright…NOW!"

Team 7 burst from the bushes, intent on catching their elusive target. It had foiled plan after plan, making the jonin's most complicated strategy come crashing down. But this time, this time would be different. This time, Team 7 would succeed!

"GOT YA!" the sound of Naruto's triumphant roar shattered the silence as his arm closed around…Tora the cat.

"Can you verify a ribbon on it's right ear?" asked Kakashi as the upset cat began to scratch the life out of the fox boy.

"Affirmative, we got a positive ID," answered Sasuke over the microphones.

"Right. Lost Pet Tora: Captured. Mission accomplished."

"CAN'T WE GET A BETTER MISSION THAN THIS?! I HATE CATS!" screamed an irate Naruto, nearly knocking Kakashi off his feet.

* * *

"My poor Tora-chan! Mommy was so worried about you when you ran off!" cried the Fire Daimyo's wife (Madame Shijami), while snuggling the heck out of the panicked cat.

"Stupid cat," mumbled an angry Naruto, "That animal deserves to be squashed."

"No wonder he ran away," said Sakura.

"Now then," said Minato, who was sitting behind his desk, "For Team 7's next mission we have: baby sitting the chief councilor's three-year old, helping his wife to do the shopping, digging out potatoes in-"

"NO! I wanna go on a better mission!" the Hokage's son shouted, "Listen dad, all we've done since we became genin is clean toilets, do gutters, and water plants. How is this supposed to make us better ninja's?"

"_He's got a point…_" Sasuke thought.

"_Ugh, Naruto's such a pain!_" his pink-haired teammate grumbled, "_And here I'd thought he'd grown up a little!_"

"_I should have known this was coming…_" their jonin leader sighed.

"NARUTO!" his father yelled, "You're just a beginner! Like everyone else, you start with simple missions to develop experience!"

"I'm not an idiot anymore, dad! Sakura's got the brains of some of your chuunin! Sasuke's a total power house! Our sensei is the famous Coy Cat Ninja, Hatake Kakashi of the Sharingan Eye. We can handle a C-Rank mission. My graduation mission was a higher rank than this!"

The silence that filled the air was stifling. Minato had seen the changes himself in his son. Naruto had stopped pulling pranks all together once he had dawned his Hitai-ate leaf headband. He had begun to bug his father to show him the beginning steps of the 'sphere of chakra' that he had seen in his dream. Heck, Naruto had even stopped wearing his trademark, obnoxiously orange jumpsuit. Now dressed in a black t-shirt, brown vest, green-coloured shorts, and black, fingerless gloves, Naruto had began to look more mature than ever.

Letting out a sigh of defeat, the Yondiame Hokage said, "So be it."

"_What?_" Sasuke thought.

"Since you are so determined, I'm going to give you a C-Ranked mission. I'll be body guards on a journey."

"Really?" asked Sakura.

"Yes, so why don't I introduce you to your client."

"Cool!"

"What the heck?!" came a voice from behind, "A bunch of little shot-nosed kids?!" The man put a bottle of what appeared to be beer to his mouth.

"_Tell me our client is behind him?_" thought Naruto, "_I hate drunks as much as I hate cats_."

"An obnoxious pretty boy, a useless fan girl, and a idiotic midget. I'm so screwed…"

"I wouldn't be talking about appearances, old man. You look like a homeless alcoholic to me," said Naruto under his breath, not liking the midget comment.

"I am Tazuna, a master bridge builder and I must return to my country. I'm building a bridge there that will change our world and I expect you to get me there safely, even if it means giving up your lives.

* * *

The four ninja and bridge builder stepped out of the village and walked down the path leading away from the village that they had grown up in. Naruto was taking in everything he could see. It was the first time he had ever left the village and he was excited about his first C-Rank mission. Technically, it wasn't his highest mission, but Naruto was still Naruto, and anything that was relatively new was cool in his mind.

"Naruto," said Sakura, "Stop smiling like that. You look like more of an idiot than you are."

"Geez, Sakura-chan, can't a guy take in the sights," he replied, "_Though, their nothing compared to you…_"

"So, Tazuna-san, where are we heading exactly?" asked Sasuke.

"Nami no Kuni, pretty boy. About a three day walk."

"Don't you have ninja of your own there?" the annoyed 'pretty boy' asked again.

"No," surprisingly Naruto answered this question, "Dad mentioned once that they have an ocean around the island that acts as a guard."

"Like the walls around the village?" questioned their female teammate.

"Yeah, sort of. I also heard him say that the island being in financial trouble. Something about a man named after a cake."

Suddenly, a strange scent hit Naruto's nose. It was like water, but tainted with something that reminded him of a human. Looking around, Naruto spotted a pool of water on their path.

"_Strange, it hasn't rained for five days. Why is there a puddle in the middle of the road?_"

Seeing his teachers single eye moving towards it as well, Naruto knew that something was up. And that something was spelled N-I-N-J-A.

The 'puddle' twisted and changed as the group passed by it, forming the head of a very non-puddle-like thing. A man's head rose from it's shallow depths, which was quickly followed by the rest of his body. Before the other one popped into existent, the fox boy threw a couple shuriken at him, causing the ninja to jump away to avoid being hit.

A rustle in the bushes alert them to another problem. Chains surrounded Team 7's teacher, before ripping him to shreds.

"KAKASHI-SENSEI!" Sakura's voice filled the clearing. The enemy swerved around her, heading to Tazuna, only to be met by a very irate Sasuke. After lodging the chains in a tree with a shuriken and kunai, he delivered an overly painful kick to each of their heads. The enemy ninja, detaching the chains from each of their claws, separated, one going for the client, the other for Sakura.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled, leaping in front of her and blocking the ninja's strike with his unprotected arm. He held back a cry of pain as the claws that were soaked in poison dug into his flesh. The fox boy kneed the enemy ninja in the stomach, while watching Sasuke out of the corner of his eye punch the other ninja to the ground. They were about to come at them again when Kakashi, returning from the dead, knocked them out with a swift chop to the neck.

"Yo! Sorry I'm late."

"KAKASHI-SENSEI!" Sakura yelled.

"So, you're ok?" asked Sasuke.

"Yep. Good job on these ninja by the way, but right now we have a more serious problem."

"What problem?" questioned Sakura. Their teacher motioned to in front of her, causing her to gasp.

Naruto was kneeling from the pain that the poison was causing in his arm. The blood flowed from his injury, coating his hands and shorts.

"Naruto's arm could become a problem. I guess we should go back to the village to get it treated," said Kakashi, "After that we should tell the Hokage about how you lied to us about the scope of our mission."

"NO!" the angry cry of the blonde boy's anguish, "We're completing this mission! I can continue!"

"Naruto, we're genins," reminded Sakura, "This is too advanced for our level of training. We should go back so we can treat your wound and get the poison out as soon as possible."

"No," Naruto said furiously, "What ever happened to the words that we were supposed to live and breathe, huh? Those ninja who break the rules in this world are considered trash. But those who abandon their friends are even worse! Well, if that's the way it is then fine, I'll be considered trash, but I refuse to abandon the old man, even if his is a lying drunk!"

Hand flicking to his side, Naruto grabbed his kunai and stabbed himself with it, drawing it across the wound to remove the poison.

Shock filled the team's eyes as the rest of the boy's tainted blood flowed from his arm. Sakura, knowing that if he lost anymore blood, her blonde haired teammate would be dead within minutes, fished in her backpack for a roll of bandages. Gently taking his arm in one hand, she proceeded to wrap the fabric around his wound. If she had seen his face, the girl would had noted that it was the same colour as her hair.

"Why?" she asked meekly, "Why did you do it in the first place, you idiot?"

"Couldn't let…them hurt you," the embarrassed boy said, scratching the back of his head in a nervous action. This caused Sakura to look up at him, eying the overly pink face before he turned away.

The look that Naruto had given her was familiar. Where had she seen it before? And why did he give a damn about her well being? Didn't he just live to torment her?

"Hatake-san…there's something I need to say."

They continued their walk towards the bridge builders home.

"Is it about the request for help you made to our village?" The older man nodded.

"As you guessed, this job is more dangerous than you and your students were led to believe. There's a man out there who really wants to see me dead."

"Who?" asked Naruto.

"You've mentioned him already, kid. He's a billionaire in the field of marine transportation. His name is Gatou."

"Gatou, as in of _Gatou Shipping and Transport_?" said Kakashi, "As in the richest man in the world?"

"Yep," answered Tazuna, "On the surface, he looks like a legitimate businessman, but in truth, he's a ruthless, murdering criminal who employs gangs and teams of shinobi. He also traffics drugs and contraband."

This made the shinobi mad. They remembered their earliest lessons at the Academy and how Iruka-sensei had drilled it into their heads to not do drugs. **(N/A: That goes for you too!)**

"He starts out by taking over other companies and can end up running entire countries. He lives by every low and vicious rule known to man.

"It was just over a year ago that he set his sights on Nami no Kuni. He came under the guise of a business venture. Then the violence began. In no time at all, he'd taken over our entire marine transportation and shipping industry and had us all under his thumb."

"So Gatou now has a stranglehold on all forms of transportation, the lifeblood of an island nation, along with all the wealth coming from it?" asked Naruto. After a questioning look from his teammates about his intelligent remark, he added, "I grew up in the home of a Kage. Politics and economy are easy to understand."

"Yes," continued the bridge builder, "That's pretty much the situation back home. But the only thing he has to fear is the bridge that I am building."

"I see," said Sakura, "and as the architect of said bridge, you are in Gatou's way."

"And that means," continued Sasuke, "That those ninja right now were working for Gatou."

"Yeah…"

"Alright," said Kakashi, "but what I don't understand is why you didn't tell the truth about the nature of your problems when you asked for help? You knew you were a target after all."

"Isn't it obvious, sensei?" explained the blonde, "Nami no Kuni is not prosperous land. Even their Daimyo is poor. Tazuna-jiji probably can't afford a B-Rank mission."

"Pretty much, kid," said Tazuna, "it you guys leave, I'm as good as dead."

The ninja look at Kakashi, hoping that he would allow them to continue on with the mission.

"But that's none of your concern!" the old man put on an overly fake smile, "You won't be there to see my daughter and ten-year old grandson cry all day like their hearts of breaking!!"

Kakashi cringed. He knew where this was going.

"And when my daughter vows eternal hatred towards all the ninja in Konoha, she'll live the rest of her life alone. So alone! But, heck, that's none of your concern!"

"Well," winced Kakashi, "I suppose it can't be helped. We'll have to continue guard you until you complete this bridge of yours."

Heh, heh. Tazuna: 1; Ninjas: 0.

* * *

**Glossary:**

**Tora:** Tiger

**Daimyo:** Feudal Lord

**Nami no Kuni:** Land of the Waves

**Kage:** Shadow

**Gatou:** sounds like the french word for 'cake'

* * *

**Finally that's over. Next up: TEAM 7 VS ZABUZA! Let's check the crystal ball to see what happens next!**

_Kakashi reached for his headband that was placed over his eye. Raising it, he revealed what was underneath: the Sharingan Eye._

_Naruto shivered. That thing creaped him out. No, in fact his sensei's left eye was completely and utterly terrifying._

**Naruto's fear comes into play in the next chapter. But why does he fear the Sharingan. Well, that's for me to know and you to find out!**

**L8R**

**Whitefox**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hi again. I'm back. Time for TEAM 7 VS ZABUZA...part 1!**

**Yes, only the first chunk of the battle will be seen today. The next is for another time. Why? Because I'm evil.**

**And for our disclaimer today, I've dragging in - I mean, asked politely for Gaara to say it.**

**Gaara: Whitefox-chan does not own Naruto. And for those stupid enough to say that she does, I will kill you.**

**Whitefox: (whacks him over the head) Stop acting like a killing machine!**

**Gaara: (rubs head) Sand! Why do you fail me, sand?!

* * *

****Chapter 5**

"The fog's so thick," complained Sakura in a quiet voice, "You can't see anything."

Team 7 and their client, Tazuna, sat in a small boat. The owner silently used the oar to drive the boat through the overhanging mist that enveloped the sea. Naruto sat at the bow, while his teammates where directly behind him. Kakashi was with their client at the back.

"The bridge isn't far now," said the rower, "Our destination, Nami no Kuni, is just up ahead."

An odd shape appeared to their right in the mist. The bridge, half done but colossal in size, loomed before the amazed ninja.

"Whoa!" whispered Naruto softly, "It's huge! Did you really build that, Tazuna-jiji?"

"Yes, I did," answered the man proudly, "And will you stop calling me that. I'm not that old."

"Do you have grand kids?"

"Yes."

"Then you're that old."

"Shhh! No noise!" said the rower in a hurried voice, "Why do you think we're traveling like this?! Cutting off the engine and rowing, moving against the fog. We can't let Gatou see us!"

"_Yah, but that long speech might have given us away,_" thought Naruto, "_Besides, I've been louder._"

"We're approaching the shore now."

Sliding the boat into a small tunnel in the side of a wall, Nami no Kuni came into view.

The first thing Naruto noticed was the lack of mist. The blue sky was revealed and a bright sun shown in it's depts. A single tree rose from the sparkling waters, it's roots showing just above the surface. The cries of a flock of seagulls broke the silence, while the houses of the citizens littered the docks.

The boat stopped at the shore and let it's passengers off.

"This is as far as I go. Good luck, Tazuna," and while that the man turned on the boat's engine and sped off into the mist.

"Alright. Take me to my home," barked the old man.

Kakashi was deep in thought, "_The next ninja they send won't be chuunin. It'll be a jonin._"

Naruto stopped in the middle of the road. A different scent was in the air. It smelled of the mist they had left behind half an hour ago and the prang of metal. Another one was with this scent as well. And it smelled like…

Ice?

"_We're being followed! Yes! We're important enough to be stalked!_" thought Naruto gleefully before coming to his senses, "_Oh…oh…oh crap! We're being STALKED!_"

He threw a kunai into the bush where the scent was coming from.

"NARUTO! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" yelled an irate Sakura.

"I swear we're being followed! There's two weird scents on the wi-" she punched him in the head.

"Yah right. Quit lying and acting like an idiot!"

"_Naruto can identify people by scent alone?_" Kakashi asked himself, not before taking this knowledge and storing it in his brain. He had sensed an odd presence as well. He when to check the spot of Naruto's 'stray' kunai and found…

An adorably cute, little, white rabbit?

"_Please don't let Gai be following us,_" the masked man prayed.

"Naruto, look what you did!" spat Sakura.

"Sakura!" yelled Kakashi, "Shut up. Naruto, come here!"

"Uh…sure Kakashi-sensei."

"_That's a snow rabbit,_" though Kakashi, "_But the colour, they only have white fur during the winter, when the days are shortened. That means it was used as a __Kawarmi_"

"Naruto, you mentioned something about a weird smell. Tell me about it," the masked man asked.

"Well, it's something I've always been able to do," Naruto explained, "For example, you smell like hay, and my dad smells like a forest in the middle of a rain storm. But these guys, one smelled like the mist and metal, while the other smelled like ice."

"_Mist and metal? That could only mean-_"

"EVERYBODY GET DOWN!"

An overly large sword spun through the air above the group, before imbedding itself in a tree. A man with no shirt landed gracefully on the hilt with his back turned to the ninjas, the headband for Kirigakure askew on his head.

"Momochi Zabuza, Kiri missing-nin," recited Kakashi, "Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura. Guard Tazuna and stay out of this. This is MY fight."

"_If I am going to fight him, I'm going to need this,_" the one-eyed man thought.

Kakashi reached for his headband that was placed over his eye. Raising it, he revealed what was underneath: the Sharingan Eye.

Naruto shivered. That thing creeped him out. No, in fact his sensei's left eye was completely and utterly terrifying.

"Hatake Kakashi of the Sharingan Eye," said Zabuza in return, "Interesting, I'd never thought I'd see you teaching brats. A pretty boy, a girly-girl, and a kid that looks a lot like the Yellow Flash. Not only that, but he can track people by scent. Of all the people you have with you, I think I'd watch out for him the most."

"_He can smell people that are hiding? I thought only the Inuzuka and Hatake clans could do that,_" thought Sasuke.

"_So he wasn't lying before?_" Sakura pondered.

"And to unveil the Sharingan so early in our friendship, I'm touched," the swordsman in a sickly sweet voice.

"Quick, Manji Formation. Protect Tazuna."

"Did you know, Kakashi, when I was in the AMBU in Kiri, we had a standing order to kill you on sight? Your profile was in our Bingo Book because apparently you have copied over one thousand jutsu. Kakashi, the Copy Cat Ninja."

"_I've heard the stories about my dad's famed pupil, but for his information to have reached Kiri, than that is something big,_" Naruto thought before adding, "_I just hope that he doesn't look at me with that eye of his!_"

"Enough talking," sneered the missing-nin, "I need to exterminate the old man. Now!"

The three genin took their positions in Manji Formation. Zabuza just laughed.

"Looks like I'll have to eliminate you first, Kakashi."

"Sasuke. Sakura-chan," Naruto whispered, "Keep your eyes on the tree."

"Why?" they questioned.

"Remember that other scent I mentioned. Well, it's near by waiting."

Their only response was to tighten their grip on their kunai.

Zabuza disappeared, sword and all, from his perch on the tree. Appearing again on the water, the swordsman began to summon a massive amount of chakra.

"Nimpo: Kirigakure no Jutsu" As the words left his lips, a thick fog enveloped the clearing.

"He vanished!" stated Sasuke.

"He'll come after me first," said Kakashi, "Zabuza is a master of the silence killing technique. As the name suggests, it happens in an instant, without sound or warning of any kind. It's so fast that you pass from this life before you realize what has happened."

The three genin and client gulped.

"Naruto, can you track him in this mist?" asked Sakura.

"Maybe. I'll see what I can do."

Recalling the missing-nin's scent in his mind, Naruto began his search. He didn't focus on the part that smelled of mist, but the metal of his sword: pure grade steel, the finest in the world. The fact that it was also covered in dry blood helped a lot as well.

There were seven metallic scents in the area. One was from the kunai that Naruto held in front of his face. Two, three, and four were from the weapon pouches on his teammates and teacher's legs. Five appeared to be surrounding Tazuna's mouth (a tooth filling maybe). Six was from the anonymous ice scent from before. And seven…

"There!" Naruto shouted, launching three shuriken from his hands. They sped towards a bush, where a large blob jumped from it and landed in the clearing.

"So, Kakashi. I was right about the brat. And the fact that he can track me in this mist is astounding," taunted Zabuza.

"Naruto has always been different. In more ways than one," replied the masked teacher.

"He may be different, but can you top this Kakashi!" said a voice from behind. A powerful kick by a mizu bushin sent Kakashi sailing into the water.

"Mizu Kangoku no Jutsu**"**

"_Oh…well…**crap**!_"

"Stupid kids, you think wearing those headbands makes you a ninja," Zabuza smiled sadistically, "But when you've hovered between life and death so many times that it doesn't matter anymore then you may be called ninja.

"Only when you become so deadly that your profile is in my Bingo Book, then you may have earned the title of ninja.

"But to call YOU ninja, is a joke!"

"_The demon Zabuza!_"

"Take the bridge builder and run," yelled Kakashi, "He can only control the water clone when it's close to him. GO!"

"That's not an option," said Sasuke, "That became unthinkable the moment you got caught, dad. No matter how fast we run or how far we go, he'll track us down, and wipe us out."

"If we try a Manji defense formation," added Sakura, "he can get around it in an instant."

Naruto finally whispered, "In the end, if we're on our own…we're finished."

"_Our only chance of survival_," thought the three genin at once, "_is to rescue, you, Kakashi-sensei!_"

"Sakura-chan, you stay with Tazuna-jiji," said the fox boy, "Sasuke, listen up, I've got a plan."

"Ha, you aren't going to defeat me, little brats!" spat Zabuza, "By the time I was your age, I'd already bathed my hands in hundreds of people's blood."

"He's a demon!" cried Kakashi, "Get the friggin' bridge builder and run!"

"A demon, huh?" said Naruto with a cocky grin, "Then all the more reason for me to fight him!"

"_Naruto…_"

"A demon is not defined by shape or size or how many people it kills. It is not defined by the origins of it's soul or anything that trivial," he recited the words his father had told him, "So just shut up with the blood bath thing!"

The blonde boy took a breath before adding in a low voice, "And if it means anything, I'm already responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. Sounds a lot like what a demon would be capable of, huh?"

"_What?!_" thought Sasuke, "_That sounds like war-time casualties. Did the village fight a war over Naruto?_"

"Is that true, boy?" sneered the missing-nin, "Well then, show me what you've got!"

Naruto formed a familiar cross with his fingers.

"Kage Bushin no Jutsu" Close to thirty clones appeared around Zabuza.

"_That's impossible!_" thought Sakura, "_All of them are solid! Just what kind of jutsu is that?!_"

All of the clones whipped out a kunai, and after yelling a triumphant battle cry, charged at the swordsman's mizu bushin and proceeded to create a massive dog pile.

Zabuza, completely pissed off, threw every last one of the damnable copies of the blonde boy off of his back. Many of the clones exploded on impact with the ground. One, which Zabuza thought was the real one, dug in his backpack producing a Fuuma Shuriken.

"SASUKE!" the blonde boy tossing the metal weapon to the Uchiha before exploding on impact with a tree.

Upon catching it, Sasuke noticed something off.

"_So that was your plan! No bad, dobe!_"

Opening the Shuriken, the black-haired boy leaped in the air, throwing the weapon towards Zabuza's real body.

"Smart brat, I'll give you that much. But not smart enough!" he said he snatched the incoming shuriken from the air, revealing another in his blind spot.

"_The second shuriken's on target, and Zabuza can't catch this one_," thought Sakura.

But their brilliant plan was foiled again when the missing-nin leaped over the incoming weapon. Or was it?

A small pop to his rear alerted Zabuza that he had fallen into the genin's trap. Naruto, who had henged into the second shuriken, revealed himself, and tossed a kunai towards the arm that was keeping Kakashi within his watery prison.

Withdrawing his hand, Zabuza turned towards the fox boy, Fuuma Shuriken spinning in his hand.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" his threat was stopped short, as Kakashi had stopped the windmill of death from taking another turn with the back of his glove. Hatred and loathing poured into Zabuza through the silver-haired man's blood red Sharingan eye.

* * *

**Glossary:**

**Gai:** Victory Song

**Kawarmi:** Replacement

**Kirigakure:** Hidden Mist Village

**Kiri:** Mist

**Manji:** swastika

**Nimpo: Kirigakure no Jutsu:** Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Technique

**Mizu Bushin:** Water Clone

**Mizu Kangoku no Jutsu: **Water Prision Technique

**Fuuma Shuriken:** Wind Shuriken

**Henge:** Transform

* * *

**So that's it, so far. Next time: TEAM 7 VS ZABUZA part 2!**

**What does my crystal ball see for the future?**

_"Thank you. I've been tracking Zabuza for a long time, waiting for this chance to finally take him down," the masked boy said with a polite bow._

_"What is gong on here?" thought Naruto, "I know of the ANBU Black Ops from my dad, but something's not right about this one. Why does he smell so much like..._

_ICE!"_

_"KAKASHI-SENSEI!_ _HE'S A FAKE! ICY-CHAN HERE HAS ZABUZA'S SCENT ALL OVER HIM!"_

**I don't know when my next update will be because I've come down with a severe case of writer's block (damn you blank pages! Come up with your own ideas!)**

**And does anyone know where I can get a Gaara plushy?**

**Ja ne**

**Whitefox**


	7. Chapter 6

**Yo, sorry I'm late. An old lady was crossing the street and I offered to walk her home, except I didn't know she lived in China.**

**Anyways, this is the end of the TEAM 7 VS ZABUZA fight. The FFH (Fillers from Hell) begin now.**

**For the disclaimer, Sasuke will say it.**

**Sasuke: Acara Whitefox does not own Naruto.**

**Whitefox: DON'T CALL ME ACARA!

* * *

**

**Chapter 6**

Naruto fell into the water with a splash. Rising to the surface, he overheard the conversation between a frightened Zabuza and a murderous Kakashi.

"Good job, Naruto. That was a brilliant plan."

"Ha!" sneered Zabuza, though clearly scared of the masked man's left eye that was pouring out killer intent, "I got distracted and lost my grip on theMizu Kangoku. It was just luck!"

"Don't flatter yourself," countered Kakashi, "You weren't distracted! You were forced to let go. And all by a bunch of weak, pathetic _genin_!" He let the last word draw out in a sadistic manner before continuing,

"You're technique worked on my once, but it won't work again. So, what's it gonna be?"

The two jonin jumped back and, in complete unison, started making the signs of Water Dragon no Jutsu. A pair of blue dragon heads with glowing yellow eyes erupted from the lake below them; their long necks swiftly following suit. Rising rapidly through the air, the twin dragons collided head on with each other with deadly accuracy. They bit and snapped at each other, causing wave after wave that rose high above Naruto's head.

"_So many hand signs!_" Thought Sasuke, "_And he mirrored them all perfectly!_"

"_So this is that power of dad's pupil_," thought Naruto.

In the center, with water cascading around them, Kakashi and Zabuza stood; kunai to sword, sword to kunai. One single slip and it spelled the end to either of them.

"_Something isn't right_," thought the missing-nin, "_The Sharingan can comprehend and replicate an enemies technique. However, both jutsu occurred simultaneously. Could he…?_"

Jumping back one more time, Zabuza ran in a circle, Kakashi mimicking his movements like a mirror. Raising his hand above his head in preparation for the Kirigakure no Jutsu, he watched in horror as the Copy-nin did the same.

"_My movements_," thought Zabuza, "_It's as if he knows what I'm going-_"

"To do next," Kakashi finished his sentence for him.

"_What! Is he reading my mind?! He looks at me with that eye!_"

"It makes you furious doesn't it?" asked Kakashi as if stating the time of day.

"HA! All you're doing is coping me! You can't beat me with cheap tricks! I'll crush you!" yelled Zabuza. But the famous Copy-nin said the same words as him, setting his nerves even more on edge.

"WATER STYLE: GAINT VORTEX NO JUTSU!" but the words came from the wrong mouth and the hand signs came too late. Zabuza was blown away by his own jutsu, before he had even preformed it.

The missing-nin, trapped to a tree by four kunai, looked up at the masked man, and asked, "Can you see into the future?"

"Yes," answered Kakashi, "And you're not in it."

They were the final words that Zabuza would hear, for the battle was cut short by two senbon needles.

"You were right," said a mysterious masked figure, "It was his last battle."

The boy jumped from his branch in a near by tree and approached the body of the missing-nin.

"Thank you. I've been tracking Zabuza for a long time, waiting for this chance to finally take him down," the masked boy said with a polite bow.

"_What is gong on here?_" thought Naruto, "_I know of the ANBU Black Ops from my dad, but something's not right about this one. Why does he smell so much like..._

_ICE!_"

"KAKASHI-SENSEI! HE'S A FAKE! ICY-CHAN HERE HAS ZABUZA'S SCENT ALL OVER HIM!"

Kakashi's eyes widened with this new information, but was unable to take another step before charka exhaustion took over. He fell over and remained their still as a board.

"Dad!" yelled Sasuke, who ran over his adopted father as Naruto sprinted towards the fake ANBU. Though, like Zabuza, his struggle was cut short by another two senbon. The last thing he heard was Sakura's voice calling for him. Blackness consumed the boy as a small smile graced his tan face.

* * *

This wasn't good. His father and teammate had fallen and there was no way in hell that he was letting his pink-haired stalker take charge.

"Sakura, carry Naruto, I'll take my dad," Sasuke ordered.

"Alright, Sasuke-kun."

The girl turned her blonde-haired teammate on his back and was about to remove the two senbon from his chest when they popped out them selves, a small wisp of steam rising from the wound.

"_His injures are healing themselves at such a rapid rate. That shouldn't even be possible!_"

She lifted the boy onto her back, only to be surprised again by how light Naruto was, even though he was a ramen-pig. She shifted him slightly, so that he fit perfectly against her small frame. Blushing slightly at the closeness of their two bodies and Naruto's breathe in her ear, she gave Sasuke a look that told him that she was ready to go.

"How far away is your house, Tazuna-san?" asked Sakura.

"About a good two hour walk."

Damn.

* * *

"_Somebody, please. Shoot me._" That thought ran through Sasuke's head millions of times over the past hour and a half. Tazuna just kept talking and talking and _talking_! This was one of the reason he hated his fangirls so much. They had nothing important to say, so they ranted on about the most idiotic things. Sasuke was beginning to think that he might go deaf from all their chatting.

He glanced over at Sakura and Naruto to see if his blonde teammate was anywhere near awake. He was wishing, for the second time since he was made genin that the blonde would somehow distract an unwanted pest from bothering the hell out of him.

This was second time that Sasuke admitted to himself that he needed the blonde's help and Naruto still remained unresponsive to his pleas.

Fuck.

Sakura on the other hand was having the time of her life. It appeared that Naruto had the habit of talking in his sleep. She heard the occasional dream of ramen to the declarations of being Hokage. Of course, she had heard them all before, but that way when he said it, it was like it was just for her.

"Sa…ku…ra…chan…"

Her heart skipped a beat. He was dreaming of her? And if that wasn't enough, the pure emotion that had come with her name, one would think that he was in love with her.

But that was impossible…right?

* * *

Bright blue eyes opened to see an equally blue sky. A small house, with a red roof and brown walled, as slowly coming closer to him. But he wasn't walking, so how was that feasible.

The scent of cherries hit his nose, causing him to tense up. Sakura was carrying him. Carrying _him_! HIM! Not dropping the blonde on his butt to go chaise after Sasuke! YES!

"Naruto?"

The question made his heart leap. "_Better play stupid and get the most out of this as I can!_" But Naruto couldn't. This was Sakura, he felt bad enough taking advantage of her to play the 'I'm-still-sleeping' game.

"Sakura-chan! You smell lovely today!"

Said girl promptly dropped him flat on his butt.

"Owie!" the fox boy, "Sakura-chan! That was mean. I'm an injured person."

"Urg, just when I thought you had become a little more mature!"

Ok, so maybe the 'I'm-still-sleeping' game had been a better choice.

"Come on, dobe," an irritated Sasuke shouted back, "Tazuna's place it just up ahead."

"Coming, teme," Naruto grumbled.

"Father!" A beautiful young woman ran from the house and nearly tackled Tazuna into a hug.

"Hey, teme. Doesn't that just make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?"

"Shut up, dobe." But Sasuke couldn't help it. He smiled.

"Tsunami, these are the ninja's that are protecting me and the bridge. Brats, this is my daughter, Tsunami."

The woman gasped, "But their just children!"

"Miss, we stopped being children the moment we got these headbands," explained Sasuke, "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to put my father down. His arm is dragging."

After finding a futon for the Copy Cat ninja to sleep on, the genin finally sat down.

"So Naruto," asked the black-haired boy, "You sure Zabuza's still alive?"

"Ya, that ANBU had the eyebrow less freak's scent all over him. And he moved to take the body away," explained Naruto, "A sure sign of a fake."

"Why's that?" asked Sakura.

"Because a real ANBU will get rid of a corpse where it lies, no matter who's watching," moaned a tired Kakashi. "I should know. I was one once."

"Sensei! You're awake!" cried Sakura.

"So, you're gonna be ok, dad?"

"NO! He won't," said a voice from behind, "You're all just gonna die."

"Inari!" scolded his mother, "Apologize! These ninja brought your grandfather here safely and saved him from an elite assassin. The least you can do it be grateful."

"Gatou's going to kill them," Inari spat, "If they want to live, then they should go back where they came from." With that, the child strutted out of the room.

"_Stupid…bitchy…brat,_" thought Naruto.

"Please forgive my son," said Tsunami, "He has been through a lot for his age. Gatou killed his father figure, Kaiza, crucified him in front of the whole village as an example. It was all because he was the only one who was brave enough to stand up for fight. Kaiza was a hero in this town and Inari thought he was invincible. He doesn't believe in heroes any more."

"Sounds like somebody needs to knock some sense into that kid," said Sakura.

"It's not our place, Sakura," said Kakashi.

"So, Kakashi-sensei. What are we going to do about Zabuza when you are out of commission?" asked Naruto.

"I can still train you guys," the masked man answered.

* * *

**Glossary:**

**Tsunami:** Tital Wave

**Futon:** bedding

**Inari: **flavoured boiled rice

* * *

**Ok, so everyone's at Tazuna's place now and the tree walking thing is about to start.**

**Here's a preview of the next chapter.**

_"You do know, that I can identify people by smell, right. So, drop the transformation, it's getting on my nerves..._

_"Uchiha Itachi."_

**Dun, dun, dun! Itachi makes an appearance! That means Akasuki will too! Yah!**

**Later**

**Whitefox**


	8. Chapter 7

**Hey there! I'm back and better that ever! Itachi, disclaimer please!**

**Itachi: Whitefox-chan does not own Naruto. Or her sanity for that matter.**

**Whitefox: Ja ne!****Chapter 7**

* * *

"Alright," said Kakashi, "Training starts now. We all understand chakra, right?"

"Yah, but what's the big deal about it all?" asked Naruto.

"Naruto's right," complained Sasuke, "We're already using chakra energy in our jutsu. We've mastered this power."

"No, you haven't! You haven't even scratched the surface on it," explained Kakashi, "You have to draw on both physical and spiritual energies and then combine them within yourself. But how do you do that?

"Each jutsu requires different proportions. You must select and combine them in exactly the right way. Up to now, you've just guessed at the proportions, hoping they'd come out right. Even if you produce a lot of charka, unless you can balance and control it, it's all worthless. The jutsu won't work at all or it will just be a joke.

"You waste so much energy that way, then you're out of chakra and you can't fight at all. You're just a target."

"So how do we change that, dad?" asked Sasuke.

"Train so hard that controlling your chakra becomes second nature. To achieve this goal you must be ready to put your life on the line."

"What…do we have…to do?" Sakura inquired with a stutter.

"Climb a tree…"

"Climb a tree?" questioned the Uchiha heir.

"That's right," the masked man said with a grin (or at least they thought he grinned), "But there's just one rule: no hands."

"What!" said their pink haired teammate, "You're kidding!"

"Am I? Well, let's see."

Focusing chakra at the soles of his feet, Kakashi began to walk up the side of the tree.

"_He's climbing straight up!"_ thought Sasuke, _"And he's only using his feet!"_

Standing upside-down on a branch, Kakashi continued his lecture.

"Well, you get the idea. Focus the chakra towards the bottoms of your feet, and use it to connect to the tree. This is one way to apply the power of chakra.

"And if you are able to master this, you can master and jutsu. Theoretically anyways.

"Well, I can talk about this all day, but it won't enhance your skills, will it? You need to apply the power of chakra through training."

With that said, he tossed three kunai at his students.

"Use the kunai to mark the tree at the highest point that you can climb, without using your hands. Then try to get past that mark the second time, and the next.

"At first you'll need to run at the tree so your momentum can take you as high as possible, until you get used to it.

"Ready, go!"

Sasuke charged at the tree and made it several feet up, he was proud to say. His focus broke when a bird passed overhead and his foot sunk into the trunk. Before leaping down, he marked the bark with his kunai.

"_This is harder than I thought,"_ Sasuke pondered,_ "The balance has to be perfect. If the chakra's too strong, it smashes the tree and pushes you off. But if it's not strong enough, you just tumble back down."_

"Hey this is fun!" a voice from above sounded throughout the clearing. Sakura sat on a high branch, giggling and watching the boys below.

"Well, it looks like the female member of the team has the most advanced charka control. Well done, Sakura," complemented Kakashi.

He looked towards Naruto and almost had a heart attack. The blonde haired boy was calmly walking up the tree and was almost at the top.

"_Um…ok…that was unexpected,"_ he thought.

"Kakashi-sensei," explained Naruto as he took on a similar position to his silver-haired teacher, "I learned this a while ago. I've even mastered water walking. Dad taught it to me when I was eight to improve my chakra control."

"You've improved it?" said Sasuke sarcastically, "You can't even make a usable bushin, though!" Naruto looked down **(AN: up?)** sheepishly at his feet.

"That's not Naruto's problem, Sasuke," explained Kakashi, "He has so much chakra that the sheer amount can rival most high-level jounin's and even some of the ANBU's. For Naruto to perform bushin no jutsu, well, let's just said it could be compared to trying to find a single grain of sand on a beach, except you don't know where that grain is and you only have one chance at finding it."

Naruto's teammates began to look at him like he had grown a second head.

"It's just the way I am," he said, "I can also replace chakra faster and have crazy stamina, too." The fox boy smiled at a memory that forced it's way to the surface. He had just painted the Hokage monument and had been chased by ten genin, five chuunin, six jounin, and an ANBU for three hours straight. Naruto only stopped when a female special jounin had convinced him to come out of hiding with the promise of ramen.

He later learned that her name was Mitarashi Anko. Man, she was scary!

"So Naruto, since you mastered this technique, you can stay here and train," ordered Kakashi, "Sakura, go guard the bridge builder. Sasuke, work on chakra control." The Uchiha gave his adopted father his family's patented family Death Glare.

* * *

He couldn't believe it! He, the youngest Uchiha protégée, was the only one who could not get this damn exercise!

Sakura had left to guard their charge an hour ago and his dad had left to read his porn. Naruto, at least, had stayed in the clearing and was trying to…pop a rubber ball?

The blonde had explained to the Uchiha that this was the second step to learning the Yondiame's famous Rasengan, a jutsu that had taken the dobe's father three years to master (thought Naruto's personal theory was that paperwork had gotten in the way). Sasuke was surprised to know that Naruto had started only a week ago.

So, as he tried to climb higher and higher up the Tree of Doom, Sasuke watched the blonde puncture holes into the rubber balls, but failed to get them to explode.

His foot sunk into the bark once more and Sasuke flipped to the ground. Damn it! He was so freaking tired of this! His eye's shot to the blonde and then back to the tree. No, he wasn't going to do that! He was not going to blow his 'I-am-so-much-better-than-you' aura just for this one damn exercise! No! No! NO!

"_I'm never gonna live this down…"_

"Hey, Naruto."

The fifteenth ball had a hole blown into the side and the chakra inside was expelled.

"What?"

"Could you…ya know…give me a tip…on this…"

A mischievous grin adorned the blonde's face.

"I'm sorry. I didn't catch that. Could you say it again, Sasuke?"

The Uchiha's eye began to twitch.

"Could you give me a tip on how to do this?"

"And?"

"And you are the greatest ninja on planet, oh wise and powerful Naruto-sama."

"_I can't believe I just said that."_

"Sure!"

"_Wait – what? He actually agreed?!"_

"Now pay attention, young grasshopper," Naruto said, adopting the voice of a wise, old monk, "It takes mental and physical energy to manipulate chakra, so if you get all stressed and distracted, you won't be able to do this.

"Take it easy. Relax and focus on the tree until you can feel how much or how little energy you'll need to center in the soles off your feet."

Sasuke blinked twice before mumbling his thanks and got up. He looked back at his teammate who had picked up another rubber ball and said, "Ya know, when you're storing up power in your right hand, try to concentrate on a specific spot. It might help you pop that thing."

He picked up his discarded kunai, just in time to hear Naruto say three words that would remain with him forever:

"Thank you, Sasuke."

By the time the sun had begun to set, Naruto had completed stage two and Sasuke had made it to the top of his tree.

* * *

"Boy this is real fun!" Tazuna laughed, "I can't remember the last time I shared a meal with so many people!"

The group had gathered around the kitchen table and were eating Tsunami's wonderful cooking. Kakashi asked how their training had gone and Sakura watched in wonder as Naruto cracked a joke that actually got Sasuke to laugh _out loud_.

But the atmosphere returned to a dreary gloom when the small boy at the end of the table spoke up.

"Why do you wear yourself our trying? No matter how hard you train, you'll never be a match for Gatou's thugs!" Inari yelled, "You act all cool, and you tall tough, but they'll just destroy you!"

Naruto let out a sigh, "Look kid, we didn't ask for your opinion. We just came here to go our job and protect your grandfather, so shut up."

"YOU SHUT UP! YOU DON'T KNOW A THING! YOU DON'T KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME!

"YOU'RE ALWAYS CLOWNING AROUND AND HAVING FUN! YOU DON'T KNOW A THING ABOUT SUFFERING OR LONELINESS OR WHAT MY LIFE IT LIKE!"

That was the last straw. Naruto slowly got up from his place and then with speed that rivaled his father's Hiraishin no Jutsu and pinned Inari to the wall.

"It's true that I may not know what it's like to loss a father, but never say that I do not know the meaning of _loneliness_," Naruto hissed, "I was born on a day of mourning, the day that thousands of people died. My father may be the Hokage, but he can't be everywhere. He could never stop them from hurting me.

Naruto let the boy down, "I grew up without a single friend in the village. Parents told their children to stay away from me as if I had the plague. On my birthday, I am beaten by mobs if I go out of my house. You wanna know why, Inari?

"It's because of these damn birthmarks! They make me look like Kyuubi no Kitsune, the demon fox that killed so many people that night. Even though I'm the Hokage's son, the villagers are not afraid to beat me within an inch of my life!

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and train!"

Naruto left the house, leaving a shocked Sasuke, a disappointed Kakashi, and a crying Sakura.

No one said a word.

* * *

_Thwack._

_Thwack._

_Thwack._

His punches rang out through the clearing into the darkness of the night. Naruto's bleeding hands struck the tree over and over again, only to be healed just as quickly as they opened.

For all the times that he had trained, fought, and sparred, Naruto did not have a single scar on his body (which even for someone of his level was almost unheard of). His insane chakra and stamina also came with this power to heal, a useful skill that could help him survive in the midst of battle and freak out his enemy in the same breath.

_Thwack._

_Thwack._

He was so stupid! He should never have exploded like that. Now his teammates would look at him with pity, which was even worse than the eyes of hate that came from the villagers.

_Thwack._

_Thwack._

They knew everything, everything but his darkest secret. The fact that he was Kyuubi.

_Thwack._

_Thump._

Naruto sat down against the tree and watched his hands heal. Maybe he could take a few minutes to rest. Yah, that would be great. Just…a…few…

Zzzz…

* * *

"_I thought I told you to stay away from him!"_

She remembered her mother's words so well. She had always listened to her parents, always did what she was told.

"_Stay away from my daughter!"_

They had told her that he was a bad kid, no matter who his father was. They had told her that Naruto was a freak and that he would get her into a lot of trouble.

"_Go away, Naruto! I hate you!"_

She had been so awful to him; calling him names and putting him down. Not once had she ever appreciated him. Not once.

"_Sakura-chan! Wanna go out with me?"_

How could he stand her? How could he face her and smile like that all the time?

"_I couldn't let them hurt you…"_

He had put himself between her and danger, not once but twice. And she had never even thanked him.

"_Sakura-chan!"_

Why did he care so damn much?

"_Sakura-chan!"_

Next time, Sakura told herself, next time, she would be there for him.

"_Next time, it'll be different, Naruto. I promise."_

* * *

"You'll catch a cold if you sleep on the ground like that."

A soft voice woke him from his slumber as rays of light met his eyes. The voice belonged to a beautiful girl with long black hair that was tied in a low pony tail. Her black eyes looked like the night sky Naruto had trained under, only to be pulled out more by the sky blew kimono she was wearing. **(AN: Yes, people. This is not Haku.)**

"Sorry," Naruto apologized, "Um…where…who?"

She giggled, "I'll see you around, Naruto."

A smile appeared on his face, "You do know, that I can identify people by smell, right. So, drop the transformation, it's getting on my nerves...

"Uchiha Itachi."

* * *

"Naruto stayed out all night, didn't he?" asked Tazuna.

"Ya," said Sakura, "He hasn't come back. If he exhausts his chakra, he could kill himself…and be lying dead somewhere."

"I hope he's alright," whispered Tsunami, "It's not good for a boy to spend all night outside."

"There's nothing to worry about. Naruto maybe a goofy kid, but he's a full fledged ninja," said Kakashi with a grin.

"Is it possible that he could have killed himself?" Sasuke wondered with a hint of worry in his voice.

* * *

People judge things about a person without getting to know them. They can make up entire scenarios about how they think a person will act just by a single assumption. But there are many things that are just unexplainable.

No one had ever assumed that Uchiha Sasuke, the Ice Prince of Konoha, had a sense of humor.

No one had ever assumed that Haruno Sakura, Caption of the 'We Love Sasuke' Squad, could grow out of her fangirl days.

No one had ever assumed that Hatake Kakashi, the Copy Cat Ninja, read porn.

No one had ever assumed that Uzumaki Naruto, complete failure, was part of the Toad Sanin's spy network.

It had all started four years ago, in a dark room, with his guard and friend, Uchiha Itachi. The two had become great pals over the years, forming an 'You scratch my back, I scratch yours" kind of relationship. Itachi guarded Naruto from the angry villagers that attacked him and Naruto did everything he could to keep that little piece of humanity that the ANBU had not stolen from him alive.

And Naruto did this the best way he could: pranks. The blonde was proud to say that Itachi was a natural.

So there they were, hanging from the ceiling of the Sandiame's bedroom, setting up an intricate genjutsu that would cause the old man's hair to turn green, when they over heard someone saying that Sasuke had been found in the middle of the Uchiha compound, surrounded by the remains of the great clan. Uchiha Shisui was in the hospital, but he was not going to make it to the end of the week.

Sasuke had said that Itachi had killed everyone.

The pair dropped everything and ran to the Hokage's office, kicked the door off the hinges, and began to proclaim Itachi's innocence. Naruto said that the ANBU Captain had been with him the whole night and Itachi declared that the proof was on the Sandiame's head.

No one noticed that Sasuke was in the chair in front of them.

The younger Uchiha rushed at his brother with a kunai in hand, screaming about vengeance. The kunai hit flesh and blood sprayed. Naruto had taken the hit for his guard.

Screams filled the hallway behind them and Shisui stumbled into the room, shouting that Itachi was not behind the massacre, but a man named Uchiha Mandara. He then asked Itachi to take his life so that the ANBU could gain the Mangekyou Sharingan.

After some persuasion, Itachi complied to his best friend's last wish.

The matter had been kept under wraps until Jiraiya showed up. Itachi became an informant in the Akatsuki, a group that, rumour had it, was set up by Mandara himself, and Naruto was the messenger boy that told the Hokage (and later the Toad Sanin himself) everything the ex-ANBU Captain had learned.

Itachi left the village under the guise of a murder and missing-nin after he got a hug from his little brother.

When asked about it, the Uchiha smiled and said, "What? Even the best of us have our weak spots."

* * *

**Glossary: (I'm doing this a little different this time.)**

**Bushin no Jutsu: **Clone Technique  
Name: Bunshin no Jutsu, literally  
"Clone Technique", English TV "Clone Jutsu", UK DVD "Art of Body Splitting"  
Type: E-rank, Supplementary  
Users: All Ninja Academy graduates  
This technique creates a clone of the user, but it is an illusion, not a real copy like the Shadow Clone Technique. The illusions will dissipate when they come into contact with anything. The illusions can be seen through by the Byakugan and the Sharingan. To these kekkei genkai, the clones look like balls of chakra. Also, a person with normal eyes can distinguish clones from the original, since the clones will not disrupt the area around themselves (won't kick up dust, crush grass, etc.) with their movement.

**Anko:** comes from the Japanese word "Ankokuki" meaning Eclipse Period

**Rasengan: **Spiraling Sphere  
Name: Rasengan, literally "Spiraling Sphere"  
Type: A-rank, Offensive, Short range (0-5m)  
Users: Fourth Hokage, Jiraiya, Naruto Uzumaki, Kakashi Hatake  
The Spiraling Sphere is an A-ranked technique invented by the Fourth Hokage after three years of training. It requires a very high level of chakra control. For training purposes, teaching the technique is broken into three steps. First, the user has to learn to pop a water balloon with their chakra. Second, they must do the same with a solid rubber ball. Finally, the user has to form a complete Spiraling Sphere by combining what they learned in the previous two steps. A regular balloon is often used to act as the shell. In Part II, Naruto develops an improved version known as the Great Ball Spiraling Sphere.

**Hiraishin no Jutsu: **Flying Thunder God Technique  
Name: Hiraishin no Jutsu,literally "Flying Thunder God Technique"  
Type: S-rank, Supplementary, All ranges  
Users: Fourth Hokage  
This jutsu was created by the Fourth Hokage and the reason behind his nickname "The Yellow Flash of Konoha" ("Konoha no Kiiroi Senkō"). It allows the user to move over large distances with ultra-high speed. Although it is often compared with the Body Flicker Technique, the speed of this jutsu is much greater. In principal, it is similar to the Summoning Technique, but instead sends the user somewhere rather than bringing something to them.

**Haku:** comes from the Japanese word "Aichaku" meaning attachment or covetous affection

**Itachi:** weasel, skunk, mink, ermine

**Sandiame:** Third

**Shisui:** comes from the Japanese word "Sanshisuimei" meaning scenic beauty

**Mandara:** mandala

**Mangekyou:** kaleidoscope

**Akatsuki:** dawn, daybreak, in the event of

* * *

**For anyone who's interested, I got the information on the jutsu's from a fanfic called _List of Ninjutsus _by NoNameNeededIt's in my Favourites for anyone who wants to have a look at them.**

**No preview today, sorry.**

**Whitefox**


	9. Chapter 8

**Sorry I'm late! You see, there was this old lady crossing the street and I offered to walk her home, only she lived in China.**

**Anyways, IT'S MY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW! YAYS! This is an early birthday present to me, so enjoy!**

**Kakashi, disclaimer please!**

**Kakashi: Whitefox-chan owns nothing. Including that excuse. That's mine...**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Poof! Itachi dispelled the transformation around him, revealing his true self in his Akatsuki cloak, a small smile on his face.

"I must say," the older Uchiha said, "that Oiroke no Jutsu you taught me has come in handy several times. Not only is it good for getting rid of perverts, but add some clothing to it and you get the perfect spy!"

"Glad you think so," Naruto sighed, "So what's up with Mandara? I know you didn't come all the way to Wave Country to say hello."

The shaking of his shoulders gave way to a slight chuckle, "I can't say it out loud, so here's a scroll. It's got a blood seal on it, so only your father can open it."

The blonde took the scroll from his friend's hands and placed it in his back pouch. The two stood and Itachi placed a hand on Naruto's head.

"You've really grown, you know. I hope that one day, I'll be able to walk through the gates of Konoha as a free man and see you're face on the Hokage monument."

Said boy looked at his feet and replied, "I know about Kyuubi…"

"So, do I," Itachi said calmly, "And it changes nothing." He began to walk away, but stopped and whispered, "If you get the chance, can you tell Sasuke that I say hello…and that I miss him."

"Sure."

"Thank you," the spy said before reapplying the Oiroke no Jutsu, and merged with the shadows.

* * *

"Naruto!"

"Dobe! Where are you?"

The two of them had been at it for what seemed like hours, and there was still no sign of their blonde teammate. Sasuke pushed past a tree branch and entered the clearing that they had been using for the tree climbing exercise when he heard, "If you get the chance, can you tell Sasuke that I say hello…and that I miss him."

His heart skipped a beat. Itachi? He had not seen his brother in years! Why was he here?

"Sure."

Naruto, too! What was going on? The blonde was getting more and more complicated everyday. New secrets about the dobe were being revealed left, right, and centre: how he could track people by smell, how he was responsible for the death of thousands, how he was beaten by the villagers on his birthday. What else was the blonde hiding?

"Come out, Sasuke! I know you're there."

The black haired boy ran into the clearing and caught a glimpse of his brother before disappearing.

"Why?" the younger Uchiha asked, his voice cracking, "Why didn't you tell me that you were the go-between?"

Naruto looked at his feet, "There would be too many people in the loop, Sasuke. I wanted to, but Ero-Sennin told me I couldn't."

His teammate looked away, and the Hokage's son continued.

"It was to keep you safe. As much as you may hate it, the council views you as the Last Uchiha, the final chance we have of keeping the Sharingan alive in the village. They'd have all our heads if we lost you.

"I was the most likely choice to be the go-between because, let's face it Sasuke, I'm the talent less loser that can't perform a bunshin. Most people would expect Itachi to pass information through someone stronger. Akatsuki is a group of S-Ranked missing-nin brought together by Mandara. He hand picked them, so they're top notch shinobi."

Naruto sighed and moved to look Sasuke in the eye, and was surprised to see a small tear.

"If it means anything, your name came up when they were choosing. It was Itachi that recommended you. He believes that you are strong."

The black haired boy wiped his eyes and said, "Let's go find Sakura. She had a fit when you didn't come back last night."

"Ya, wait until I tell her that her precious Sasuke-kun was crying!"

"You won't dare."

"Try me!"

Sakura found the two of them minutes later, with Naruto being choked by Sasuke, who was in a headlock. **(NA: trust me, this is possible)**.

"Do I even want to know?"

* * *

The three genin ninja reached the house with no problem. After explaining that Naruto had fallen asleep training, Kakashi ordered them all to the bridge, where they looked out of enemy ninja and made up for the missing crew members plus ten with the help of Naruto's infamous Kage Bunshin.

Kakashi, still recovering from chakra depletion, sat on the edge, while listening to the blonde's barbs about him being to old to work. He cursed his silvery hair.

Inari disappeared into his room the moment the group came into the house, saying that he was going to look out at the ocean. Tsunami prepared a lovely dinner for the genin, before Kakashi ordered them to bed.

* * *

Sakura was awaked by the sound of someone thrashing in their blankets. She turned and saw that it was Naruto, trapped in a horrible nightmare. Moving to his side, she heard fragments of the terrors that held him in his sleep.

"Please! Don't hurt me!

"I'm not a monster!

"Help!"

Not wanting to hear him suffer anymore, Sakura put her hand on his shoulder and shook him gently. Naruto's eyes shot open and he reached for a kunai under his pillow, only to find it was not there.

"Naruto?" Sakura looked him in the eye, only to wish she had not. The vibrant life that normally filled them was gone, replaced by infinite sadness and regret. Tears streamed down the boy's whiskered face and his lips were trembling.

"Sakura-chan?" his voice cracked. The girl could not take it anymore. She pulled him into a warm hug and started to sing a soft lullaby in his ears. His hands clenched the shirt of her pajamas as his breathing slowed to a peaceful rhythm.

Her blonde teammate had always seemed so invulnerable to her, like nothing could bring him down. He always jumped back up with a smile on his face, cracked a joke, and walked off whistling. But ever since they had become a team, Sakura had learned things about the boy that she had never thought were possible: he was a great strategist, an amazing friend, and had a sad, if almost dark, past. A past that was coming out more and more into the light.

"_I promised myself that I would be there for you, Naruto,"_ Sakura thought, _"It's small, but for now, this is the best I can do."_

* * *

Naruto awoke, for the second time in the past few days, to the scent of cherries. He was holding onto something warm as if it was his lifeline, and it was holding him just a tightly. His sapphire eyes opened to the world to find his vision blocked by a veil of pink.

_Sakura-chan…_

Memories of what had occurred came flooding back to him. The nightmare. Her waking him up. The hug. Him falling asleep in his arms. Him still being…in her…arms…

"_Oh, god!"_ the blonde thought, _"I slept with Sakura-chan!"_

Naruto jumped from her arms, startling the girl into the realms of the awake. He sat with his back against the wall, panting and shaking. Sasuke, who had slept in the futon at his feet had been surprised so much, that he believed that the house was under attack. He had tried to jump into a defensive stance while still in his bed, only to fall right back down. If Naruto hadn't been so terrified, he would have been laughing his ass off.

"What the hell, dobe?!" Sasuke yelled uncharacteristically. He looked at the boy, who seemed to be horrified by something. Naruto slowly raised his hand and pointed at Sakura.

"You…you-"

"You were having nightmares, ok!" their pink haired teammate said.

Sasuke looked between the two of them before coming to a conclusion.

"You mean to say that you," he pointed to Sakura with his left hand, "And you," and Naruto with his right. He brought them together as a smile that generally appear on his blonde haired teammate, emerged onto his own. _"This is too good to keep a secret."_

For the first time in her life, Sakura wanted to kill Sasuke.

* * *

"Well, we're off!" called Kakashi, "Please take care of Naruto. He's worn himself out, I doubt he'll be able to move for the rest of the day."

"Sure! Come back safe!" was the responding shout from inside the house.

The walk to the bridge was relatively quiet, but Sakura's mind could not be described as such. She still remembered Naruto's fascinating healing ability, displayed in their last encounter with Zabuza and the fake-hunter ninja. The girl honestly believed that Naruto would be up and running in a matter off hours.

"Wh-what the hell?" were the words that broke her from her trance. The bloody bodies of five workers were scattered across the end of the bridge. Tazuna rushed to one of them, just in time to hear the man whisper his last words:

"Monsters…"

"_It can't be…"_

* * *

Naruto awoke to the sound of screaming. He grabbed his kunai pouch that he kept beside him and made a mad dash for the kitchen. Tsunami was crouching in a corner, using her body as a human shield to protect her son. Two samurai approached her, sword in front of them.

"The boss only said that we need one hostage," the one with the strange eye-liner sneered, "So get rid of the brat, Waraji."

"Sure thing, Zouri," said the one with the tattoos.

Naruto paled. These two were going to kill Inari. Sure the kid was a pain, but he definitely didn't want to see the little guy dead. A sense of overwhelming strength came over the blonde as he sprinted across the room and plunged two kunai into the backs of their heads.

Waraji and Zouri were dead before they hit the floor.

Naruto stood over the two bodies, his hand shaking. He had just ended the lives of a pair of humans, his own people. But was he really human? Was he becoming the demon that he once was? He couldn't be! He was Naruto! Right?

"Naruto-nii-san…thank you for saving me and my mom," Inari stammered, tears flowing down his face. The blonde looked up. He couldn't break down now, not in front of this kid.

"Inari," Naruto bent down on one knee, "I need you and your mom to go and hide, ok. Since these guys are attacking you now, my teammates are probably in danger, too." He pressed a single kunai into the boys hands. "Protect your mother with you life."

Inari gulped and wiped away his tears.

"_Dad…Naruto-nii-san…I will be stronger!"_

* * *

Sasuke was panicking. The strange hunter-nin known only as Haku had him surrounded by mirrors made of ice and had proceeded to turn the brooding Uchiha boy into a human porcupine. He was on his last legs, and Kakashi wasn't going to back him up. Sakura, sure she had brains, but they would be useless in a situation like this. Naruto could help, but he wasn't here at the moment.

Another wave of senbon from the ice wielding ninja brought him to his knees. Darkness edged it's way into his vision when a pair of hands caught him.

"Sasuke!" It was Naruto.

"So you made it after all, dobe," the Uchiha smirked, "Too bad. I'm finished."

"Don't say that Sasuke!" the blonde yelled desperately, "We can still beat him!"

"Heh, it's ok," he looked his teammate in the eyes, "I used to hate you, you know. You always got to hang out with Itachi. You always got him to laugh. It was good to get to know the real you, Naruto, and not just the screw up ninja everyone thinks you are. It was good to get to see under your mask."

"No…"

"Tell my brother that I'm sorry. Tell him…I miss him…too." And with that, Uchiha Sasuke closed his eyes to the world.

He was gone.

"Is this the first time that a friend of yours has died in battle?" the masked boy asked, "Such is the way of the ninja."

"Shut up," Naruto said.

"_I used to hate you too, Sasuke."_

Tears flowed down his face. The hair on his head grew wilder as his eyes turned a bloody red. Claws grew from his hands and fangs from his mouth.

Grief lead to anger. Anger lead to hate. Hate lead to suffering.

"**I'm gonna kill you!"**

* * *

**Glossary:**

**Oiroke no Jutsu: **"Sexy Technique", Viz  
"Ninja Centerfold", English TV  
"Sexy Jutsu", UK DVD  
"Art of Eros"  
Type: E-rank  
Users: Naruto Uzumaki, Konohamaru, Moegi, Udon  
This is simply a Transformation Technique used to transform the user into a beautiful, nude woman (or, in episode 177 a woman in a bathing suit). Naruto uses it to drive his instructors to distraction, sometimes leading to an exaggerated nosebleed by the victim, and it is indeed annoyingly effective. Naruto was forced to use this jutsu in order to receive training from Jiraiya.  
A variant of this technique is the Harem Technique, which uses varying numbers of shadow clones in combination with the technique to produce multiple clones of a nude woman.

**Waraji: **straw sandals

* * *

**Dun dun dun! Naruto's fox chakra has been released! Haku's in for it now!**

**Preview time!**

_Naruto reached for Haku's bloody shoulder, healing like Eisei-chan had taught him all those years ago._

_Wait a minute! Who was Eisei-chan? And why did he get a picture of a girl that he swore had walked right out of IchaIcha Paradice when he thought about it?_

**Till next time,**

**Whitefox**


	10. Chapter 9

**Hi again! I'm alive and well, so no need to worry. Before I start, though, I'd like to address some important issues**

**(1) Where is Iruka? The man has gone through some emotional trauma and was (as said in chapter 2) detained. He will be returning later, so do not panic Iruka fans, but he will not be the same person that his is in the manga. Keep in mind, he is not going to be evil, just different.**

**(2) My newest poll. No one has voted on it and I am very depressed. Please vote, I really need help. I have no idea which one of them is going to - whoops, not going there! That would spoil the great ending to the chuunin exams I have. It's canon, yet not so canon. And I need someone to take the fall. That, and introduce a plot twist.**

**Aaaannnnddddd...that's all I have on my list for today...On with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Proof: Did Naruto go four tailed in the Valley of the End? No.**

**Chapter 9**

"**I'm gonna kill you!"**

Those four words struck fear into Haku's heart, with such malice and pain behind them. Red chakra erupted from the boy's back, wrapping itself around him to form a sort of cloak. A single tail swung behind him, making the once cheerful Naruto look like Death itself.

"_What chakra is this?" _the masked boy questioned, _"Chakra can not be seen, yet it is clearly visible on this boy!_

"_Who – no! What is he?!"_

The masked boy had no time to think, as the blond let out a bloodcurdling howl and charged on all fours towards his mirror. Haku sent a volley of senbon towards him, which was deflected by a wave of chakra.

"_The bloodlust in his eyes; this is no longer a child!"_

Outside the dome, the action came to a halt. A feeling on dread and misery enveloped the three ninja. Two wondered what the hell was going on, while the other tensed and began to prepare for the worst.

"_Naruto! Has the seal finally broken after all this time? Will he revert back to Kyuubi?"_ Kakashi thought, _"No…I sense that we are still safe; that sensei's seal has just creaked and a small amount of Naruto's old chakra has slipped through._

"_But I still can't shake this feeling…Why is his chakra so different from that night twelve years ago? Why does it feel so…sad?"_

His hand moved to the pocket on his vest, and a small scroll fell from the opening.

"_If I act quickly, we might still have a chance!"_

* * *

Sakura had always prided herself as being the best in her class. She could recite every one of the Shodiame's Mokudon techniques off by heart and assemble each one of the basic traps faster than you could swear when you fell into them. She had the brains to do anything in the shinobi business, but that was the problem. She had the brains, not the experience. And right now Haruno Sakura was wishing she was a little more prepared.

When the wave of inhuman chakra had washed over her and the client, she knew something was wrong. It was frightening, truly frightening. She clutched her kunai so hard that her hand began to bleed when an animalistic growl shattered the silence on the bridge.

She just hoped that what ever was out there was one their side.

* * *

"**AAAUUURGH!"**

The feral Naruto threw the masked boy around like a rag doll, his giant arm of chakra glowing red in the mist. He slammed it (and Haku) into the concrete, shattering three other mirrors.

"_This is bad!! I can't withstand his chakra any more!!"_ The young ice wielder stood again and looked on as Naruto charged once more. He moved to the left, only to be caught and swung around to face the boy's red feral eyes once more. Haku saw the blonde swing a chakra-powered punch into his mask, and the next thing he noticed was that he was flying towards his master fight.

He hit the ground close to where the pink-haired girl was standing. She screamed at his sudden and ever so "elegant" arrival, backing up closer to the older man. Haku rose to his feet, ready to die. His purpose had been taken from him; Zabuza was not in need of a broken tool.

Another wave of chakra cleared the bridge of the mist, revealing the fallen Sasuke and the two jonin. A flicker of red attracted his attention and Haku's now mask less face (it had fallen off in his flying lesson) turned to see Naruto leaping towards him. The broken tool just stood there, waiting for Death to claim him, when he heard the scream.

"NARUTO!"

* * *

She yelled his name, in hopes to drive him out of what ever madness had engulfed the poor boy. The blonde stopped for a second, glanced at her and then at the mask less boy, and then did something that she had never thought she would see Naruto do. He sunk to his knees, red chakra cloak still around him, and began to cry.

Sakura could not understand. What had happened over there on the other side of the mist? And where was Sasuke?

"Naruto?" She cautiously approached him, keeping a wary eye on the fake-hunter nin, who was staring at Naruto with dead eyes. She reached out for his shoulder when-

"Sakura! Don't touch him!" Kakashi yelled from his battle, "You don't know what that chakra will do!"

That chakra? _That_ chakra. So this was not regular chakra. A blood limit, perhaps. But neither the Namikaze or the Uzumaki clans had one. **(AN: Sakura is under the impression that Naruto was born out of wedlock, meaning that his parents were not married when he was born, hence he carries the name Uzumaki after his "mother")**. So what was it?

Ignoring her sensei's calls to get away, Sakura reached into the red chakra and placed her hand on his shoulder. A slight hissing sound directed her attention to her hand itself. It…was healing. The red chakra was healing her!

"Sakura-chan," Naruto cried, "I'm so sorry!"

"Sorry about what?" she questioned.

"That I turned up so late. If I was earlier…Sasuke…he wouldn't be dead!"

Her heart stopped. Sasuke was dead? That just was not possible. Sasuke, the love of her life, could not EVER have been defeated in battle!

"I'm so sorry," Naruto mumbled, "I can't even kill his killer…I can't…"

"Why?" this surprisingly came from Haku himself, "I murdered your comrade, your beloved friend…and you still spare me?!"

"Your eyes…I can't kill someone with eyes like yours."

* * *

"Don't let yourself be distracted, Kakashi!" Zabuza charged at the Copy Ninja, sword ready to slice the man in half. He rolled to the side, letting the Demon of the Mist pass by him. He had more things on his mind.

Naruto seemed to be calming down a bit; the red chakra slowly ebbing away. It was strange to see that it was not rage that brag out Kyuubi's power, as Kakashi and several other had predicted, but grief. Minato had once mentioned that Izanagi no Giri had a slight flaw in it: that the last emotion that Naruto had felt as the Demon Fox would be the one to let that horrible power through. With this information, one would be forced to believe that Kyuubi was sad about something when he was transformed into Naruto. But sad about what?

"ARRG!" Zabuza attacked again, bringing him out of his thoughts. A slight smirk graced the masked nin's face as his precious little ninken sprung from the concrete, holding the swordsman in place.

"The fog has lifted. I can see your future," Kakashi said, "Your future is death!"

"You say my future is Death," Zabuza sneered, "I've had enough of your bluffs."

"Who's bluffing now? There's no way out," corrected the Copy Ninja, "Face it. You're going to die.

"Zabuza, you've had your fun. You've schemed your schemes. The day you deserted Kirigakure and became a missing-nin, your name and your actions were reported to us in Konoha. We know all about the failed attempt to assassinate the Mizukage, Leader of your people.

"You've been trying to raise funds for a second attempt and barely staying a jump ahead of the ANBU…Which is what brought you here. It's why you began to work for a Parasite like Gatou."

Kakashi raised his hands, made three quick handsigns, a opted a familiar looking stance.

"RAIKIRI!"

"_What the hell?! I can almost see…the chakra in his palm!"_

"You're a loose canon," the masked ninja said, "The man you're trying to kill, Tazuna-san, it is heart and spirit of this place. And the bridge that you are try to keep him from completing is this land's hope.

"You're will to sacrifice this place and everyone in it, just to advance your own ambitions! That is not what a true shinobi does!"

"Spare me the Civics lesson and philosophy," complained Zabuza, "I'm fighting for my own ideals, and I'm not about to stop."

"I'll say this once more: Give up…Your future is Death."

* * *

"Please, Naruto," Haku said, "Please find it in your heart to kill me."

Naruto tensed, "I can't. I know that there's more to you than just being the toughest. Zabuza needs you for much more that that."

Haku looked him dead in the eye, "Zabuza-sama has no need for a broken tool. I am not required anymore."

"You will always be needed," Sakura yelled, "People learn from their mistakes, becoming stronger than they were before!"

The ice wielder blinked and a spark of life reappeared in his dead eyes. He could still have a purpose? Zabuza could still need him?

"You said that you were a broken tool," the pink haired girl said, "Well, don't you usually take broken tools to the blacksmith, where they can be mended."

He had nothing to say to that. The silence was broken by a cry of "RAIKIRI!"

"ZABUZA-SAMA!" Haku disappeared from the spot, ready to intercept the hit meant for his master. Ready to die for the one person who had given him a purpose.

Naruto's eyes widened. With a burst of speed he did not know he still had, he propelled himself towards this sensei, pushing the famous Raikiri just far enough away that the blow that landed was not lethal.

Blood splattered.

"Naruto, why?" Kakashi asked as he wrenched his hand from the ice wielder's left shoulder.

"I don't think Zabuza's our enemy anymore," the blonde replied, "Gatou's here, and with the army he's got I don't believe he's come for tea and cookies."

* * *

"Well, he's certainly made a fine mess out of!" the small business man sneered, "What a pity…Zabuza!"

"Gatou," questioned the Demon of the Mist, "What are you doing here? And…why did you bring all of them?"

"You see, there's been a slight change in plans, Zabuza. Or, at least of your plans, anyways. This was what I had in mind all along.

You're going to die 'Demon,' here and now.

"You must have guessed that I never intended to pay you. It's such a bother hiring a skilled shinobi affiliated with one of the top villages. It's expensive…and they tend to have friends who object when I betray and kill them. It's so much simpler to hire missing-nin like yourself. No one cares what I do to your kind once the job is done.

"All of you ninja are so eager to fight each other. Once you've worn each other down, common thugs can finish off the rest. It's a great business plan-efficient and inexpensive.

"My only mistake was hiring you in the first place. Calling yourself the 'Demon of Kirigakure' is just plain false advertising! Heh, heh. You're no demon…more like a baby demon, if that."

The crowd behind the tyrant began to shout their war cries, riled up from the excitement.

"Forgive me…Kakashi…our fight is over. I no longer have any reason to want to assassinate Tazuna…which settles our differences," said Zabuza.

"That reminds me," Gatou smirked at Haku, who was sitting down on the bridge nursing his wound, "You and me had a score to settle."

Approaching the downed ninja with an air of superiority, the man kicked him in right in the shoulder, clearly enjoying the sound of Haku screaming in pain.

"WHAT THE HELL DO UOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, YOU CREEP?" Naruto lunged at Gatou, but was stopped by his sensei.

"Calm down. Think. There's a lot of them!"

"Hey, why aren't you doing something," the blonde shouted, "He works for you! He's practically your slave!"

"Like what? Haku will live."

"But you should care! He's your comrade, your partner! He's been working with you for years!"

"Weren't you listening? Like Gatou used me, I use Haku. I don't value him for himself, but for the blood that runs in his veins. I will apologize for nothing."

"Shut up!" Naruto yelled, "He really cares about you! He is devoted to you! But you think that's just nothing! You don't feel a thing!

"Are you really that heartless? Is that how you get when your powers are as strong as yours are? Haku would give his life for you! He would die, without any of his dreams coming true…"

"Kid, shut up," Zabuza said, grabbing his sword **(AN: Kakashi hasn't kunai…ed his arms yet)**, "Shut up and cover me from behind."

With that said Zabuza charged into the large band of thugs that were now shielding a terrified Gatou. The sword held in one arm cut through men like paper and with Naruto defended him from anyone lucky enough to avoid Zabuza's wrath.

The missing nin approached the small business man with his sword held high. Gatou backed away screaming something around the lines of "giving him his money" and "please don't kill me," when his slipped off the edge of the very bridge he had tried to destroy, plummeting to his death below.

"_Well,"_ thought Zabuza, _"That was rather anti-climatic."_

* * *

After seeing Gatou fall to his death, Naruto escaped the crowd to thugs and made his way back to Haku. He reached for Haku's bloody shoulder, healing like Eisei-chan had taught him all those years ago.

Wait a minute! Who was Eisei-chan? And why did he get a picture of a girl that he swore had walked right out of IchaIcha Paradise when he thought about it?

He was brought out of his thoughts by Haku, who was tugging on his shirt.

"You might be happy to know, I didn't kill your friend. I put him in a deathlike trance after I saw that he had developed his Sharingan."

Naruto, completely overjoyed, hugged the ice wielder, opening up his wound again. He apologized profusely, before making his way over to were his fallen comrade was. Gently pulling out the senbon in his neck, he was relived to see the colour returning to the Uchiha's face.

He called over to Sakura, relaying the news, as Kakashi and Zabuza finished off the rest of the thugs Gatou had hired. The army of villagers arrived, a little late, but ecstatic none the less.

* * *

"Naruto, are you sure you're ok?" asked Sakura, "You've been holding your head ever since we got back from the bridge."

The group, slightly larger with the presence of Haku and Zabuza, was heading back to the house, bloody and battered. Sasuke had woken up with a little "prodding" from the blonde and was being carried by his adopted father.

"I'm fine," the blonde said (though he was clearly not), "Just a headache."

"Go lie down, Naruto," instructed his teacher, "We'll wake you when dinner is ready."

The bijuu-turned-human murmured his agreement and did as he was told. He curled up in his futon, his head throbbing and his eyes screwed tight.

A strange marking appeared on his head: the word "kinen" in the middle, two lines on the side. As the blonde fell asleep, one of the lines disappeared.

* * *

**Glossary:**

**Shodaime:** First

**Mokudon:** Wool Release/Wood Style

**Raikiri: **literally "Lightning Cut", Viz "Lightning Blade/Thrust", English TV "Lightning Blade" (a.k.a. "Lightning Edge") Type: S-rank, Offensive, Short range (0-5m)  
User: Kakashi Hatake  
This jutsu is an enhanced form of the Chidori with the same, albeit more powerful, effect. Kakashi is the only one able to use it, and it is named as such because he once cut a lightning bolt with it. This jutsu requires a larger amount of chakra and better chakra control. Because of this, it is an S-rank jutsu, while the Chidori is an A-rank jutsu.

**Eisei:** Health

**Bijuu:** Tailed Demon

**Kinen: **Memory

**And the Battle on the Bridge comes to a close. I'm not that good at writing fight scenes so I appologize if it wasn't the greatest.**

**Anyways, it's preview time:**

_"Hello," the stranger asked, "What's your name?"_

_"I don't have one," he answered, flashing a toothy grin, "But my 'father' gave me the title of Kyuubi. Do you have a name?"_

_The man smiled and his hair moved out of the way, revealing two Sharingan eyes._

_"Yes, I do. I'm Uchiha Mandara."_

**See you next time,**

**Whitefox**

* * *


	11. Chapter 10

**Sorry I'm late. I have a real excuse this time, too. One word: exams. Enough said.**

**I present to you the Ultimate Flashback Chapter of Doom. Many of you had guess that Naruto will be regaining some of his memories of his life as Kyuubi and you were right.**

**Also, for those who were wondering why Naruto didn't go what I like to call "Nine tailed and Fuzzy" I would just like to say that I have a reason for my madness. At least when it comes to this.**

**There will be a couple nicknames mentioned in this chapter (Lets just say that Naruto's way of nicknaming people is passed down from Kyuubi). As for who they are, if you're confused I'll tell you at the end.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Proof: Does Sakura have any actual talent other than chakra control in the beginning of the series. No.**

* * *

**Legend**

Talking

**Demon talking/God talking/Huge animal talking**

Technique/Jutsu

_Thoughts/Flashbacks_

* * *

**Chapter 10**

_It was a picture – no a family photo. A whacked up one, too. Nine different animals in a line and a purple skinned monster with an insane smile on it's face floating behind them. Tankuni, Neko, Kame, Hachuu, Inu, Itachi, Mujina, Hebi, Kitsune. Ichibi, Nibi, Sanbi, Yonbi, Gobi, Rokubi, Shichibi, Hachibi, Kyuubi. He was drawn to the large tankuni, who had received his nickname because the mutated sandcastle couldn't hold his drink. The Neko had the purple skinned monster's hand on it's shoulder and the Hebi and the Kitsune were glaring at each other._

_Well, the reason was obvious. He loathed the one he had nicknamed Yamata after what she did to his younger brother. And he would defend the tankuni to the end of the world like any _true_ sibling would do._

_And as for the monster behind them, he hated it. He hated the rotting purple skin on it's face. He hated it's white hair and the dagger that it carried in his mouth. He hated that thing behind him; the thing that had no right to say it was their father._

* * *

"_**Father will be cross if he figures out you skipped training to watch the humans again, Kyuubi."**_

_He turned, spotting his sandy brother, and motioned for him to sit down next to him._

"_**I don't care. He's not our father anyways. He only created us because the Kamis told him to."**_

_The young tankuni took a seat next to him; arms crossed, and muttered his agreement._

"_**Besides, we were created as guardian spirits for the humans, right? So it's only natural to want to know what their like!"**_

"_**Hn."**_

"_**You know, for the pervert that you are, you have no social skills, little bro."**_

"_**I am not a pervert."**_

**_"Fine! You're a closet pervert! "_**

_He let out a small chuckle. Sometimes it was like the two of them had switched roles: the tankuni as the oldest and him the younger. He almost cracked up at the thought._

_He had saved the Ichibi from the Hachibi's wrath about a year ago, after the youngest of the nine bijuu had said something about her being a "flat chested old hag." (Whatever the hell that meant…) The kitsune had received harsh blows from the eight tails of the Hebi, but after that the Tankuni had stuck to him like glue. The two of them were inseparable: the Ichibi keeping him in line and in return the eldest of the nine bijuu protected him from harm (and occasionally himself and his drinking habits.)_

_Silence enveloped them for a moment. The kitsune stared into what was called the viewing pool, watching a young human female hold her baby in a field. A small smile appeared on his face._

"_**What do you think it would be like to be human?"**_

_He did not realize he had said that out loud until his brother answered._

"_**Interesting."**_

"_**How so?"**_

_There was silence again. The kitsune thought that the tankuni was not going to answer. Then the Ichibi said something that he would never forget:_

"_**We would have names…"**_

* * *

"_**Your brothers and sisters are disappearing in the human realm, Kyuubi no Kitsune,"**__ the god Izanagi gave him his orders; __**"It is your task to find out what has happened to them. Your duty as the Guardian Spirit of Hi no Kuni comes second."**_

_His heart clenched in his furry chest. They were gone, all but him. His little brother had gone missing not long ago. He hoped he could find the Ichibi and keep the promise to the tankuni that he made nine hundred years ago._

_After all, Kyuubi no Kitsune did not break his promises. If he was a human ninja, that would have been his nindo._

* * *

_"Hello," the stranger asked, "What's your name?"_

_**"I don't have one,"**__ he answered, flashing a toothy grin, __**"But my idiot 'father' gave me the title of Kyuubi. Do you have a name?"**_

_The man smiled and his hair moved out of the way, revealing two Sharingan eyes._

_"Yes, I do. I'm Uchiha Madara." __**(AN: There people, I fixed it. Stop complaining about it please. One comment about it is fine. Two is pushing it. But anymore just pisses me off. Sorry, I had to get that out.)**_

"_**Cool eyes, Madara-chan!"**__ the kitsune laughed, __**"Hey, mind if I hang out with you for I while. You're the first human I've ever met for I'm curious! My brother said he met a pretty human female before when he got run over by something called a fruit cart and I was so jealous because-"**_

"_Alright, sure."_

"_**Yah!"**_

"_You talk a lot for a bijuu."_

"_**You talk to little for a human."**_

"_How would you know?"_

"_**I watched over the human world when I was younger."**_

"_You were a stalker?"_

"_**NO! That's Houkou's job!"**_

"_Just checking…"_

* * *

"_**Ano, Madara-chan,"**__ he asked, __**"Do you know anything about the other bijuu? Like where they are and stuff?"**_

_A smirk appeared on his red-eyed friend's face, "Oh, yes. I do know where they are._

"_A man named Senji Hashirama, though like you generally goes by his title, the Shodai Hokage, has several in his possession. Seven of them, under lock and key."_

_Seven. That was one less than what the bijuu was hoping for. Of course, knowing the Sanbi, he had probably just gotten lost on the way to his station._

"_**So this Hashirama person,"**__ the kitsune asked,__** "Where is he?"**_

"_In Konohagakure. Do you know where that is?"_

"_**Yep!"**_

"_Do you have a plan? You can't just walk in there and ask for him to return them."_

"_**What's wrong with that plan? It's not like I want to leave a bad impression on him."**_

_Madara's smile turned into a scowl, "You're not going to attack Konoha to get your family back?"_

"_**I'm the protector of Hi no Kuni!" **__the kitsune yelled, "__**Why would I attack my people?!"**_

"_I see," the Uchiha's eyes bled red and for the first time, the kitsune was scared, "Then I have no choice…"_

_All he remembered after that was anger._

* * *

_Nine billowing tails fanned out from behind him. He was the Kyuubi, one of the great demons known as the Bijuu by the flesh-walkers. With one flick of his tail, he brought mountains to the ground, with another, raised tsunami's in the lakes near by._

_He leaped over the platoon of silver-eyed male and females towards the village it so hoped to destroy, to be quickly met be a group of red-eyed fighters. Not wanting to look into their eyes, he crushed them with a massive paw. The red-eyes of his opponents would frighten him no more._

_Lunging towards a trio of humans, the Kyuubi was quickly stopped by a flash of yellow light. A man, with hair as bright as the orb that illuminated the sky everyday, stood before him. No fear reeked from this mortal's pores._

"_This one is a worthy opponent__," he thought._

_Just then, the Great Flash, as the Kyuubi had dubbed him, smashed a sphere of blue energy into his mussel. Howling in pain, he stumbled back into the forest behind. A flash to his right told him the man had moved again and was standing atop a gigantic toad._

"_**Gamabunta,**__" Kyuubi yelled, "__**I see the scar remains on your eye from the last battle we had!**__"_

_If the Boss Toad was intimidated, he did not show it. Instead, the Great Flash, after pulling out a small vile of blood, began to make hand signs (a foolish human invention to channel chakra)._

"_Kyuubi no Kitsune, your reign of terror ends now! __Izanagi no Giri__!"_

_With a flash of light, the haze of the Sharingan lifted from his eyes for the first time in over fifty years._

"_Little brother," Kyuubi thought, "I'm so sorry…"_

* * *

Twelve years later, a boy named Uzumaki Naruto woke up from a dream, his heart pounding in his chest.

The smell of food washed over him, but instead of making him feel hungry, it made him feel sick. The blonde stumbling into the bathroom, ignoring the shouts of joy ("Gatou's dead!") and a couple of regret ("I still haven't gotten paid yet, Kakashi…") and looked at himself in the mirror. His hands were on either side of the sink with his back arched over in an attempt to hid his shaking.

He did not mean to attack Konoha! It was not fault! It was Madara, the same man who took away Sasuke's family that had controlled him. Naruto pushed himself away from the sink, trying not to kick the wall in anger.

_"I TRUSTED HIM!" Naruto yelled in his mind, "HE WAS MY FRIEND AND HE BETRAYED ME!"_

And what about his brother, the Ichibi? He still had a promise to keep; he had sworn it to the tankuni in blood (though how exactly he had done so was still beyond him).

After all, Uzumaki Naruto, the human form of Kyuubi no Kitsune, did not break his promises. That was his nindo.

And then it hit him, as if someone had dropped a fifty pound weight on his head. His hands shook, not with fear or anger, but with happiness and joy. A single tear rolled down his cheek.

"I have a name."

* * *

**Glossary:**

**Ichibi:** The one-tailed tankuni (racoon dog) Kyuubi's nickname: It's not mentioned, but if you don't know it already I really feel sorry for you right about now. It's Shukaku.

**Nibi:** The two-tailed neko (cat) Kyuubi's nickname: It's not mentioned yet, but it's Nekomata

**Sanbi:** The three-tailed kame (turtle) Kyuubi's nickname: It's not mentioned yet, but it's Isonade

**Yonbi:** The four-tailed hachuu (lizard) Kyuubi's nickname: It's not mentioned yet, but it's Sokou

**Gobi:** The five-tailed inu (dog), hence the stalker joke. Kyuubi's nickname: Houkou

**Rokubi:** The six-tailed itachi (weasel) Kyuubi's nickname: It's not mentioned yet, but it's Raijuu

**Shichibi:** The seven-tailed mujina (badger) Kyuubi's nickname: It's not mentioned yet, but it's Kaku

**Hachibi:** The eight-tailed hebi (snake) Kyuubi's nickname: Yamata

**Kyuubi:** The nine-tailed kitsune (fox) Doesn't have a nickname, as it is Kyuubi that is handing them out

* * *

**That's over. Anyways, I made Kyuubi a good dude so it you have a problem with that stop reading now. If you flame me for something I've warned you about I will report you.**

**Sorry if I sound really pissed off at the moment but the exams have sucked all of my usual happiness out of me. I'm cranky, so sue me.**

**No preview today people.**

**Later,**

**Whitefox**


	12. Chapter 11

**Hi there! (Dodges randomly thrown objects) Wait, I can explain, really! And it's a real excuss this time! Then you may say what you wish.**

**Ok, so I was out of town for awhile and unable to get to a computer, then had to go to this camp thing, then school started, then my grandmother had knee surgery so we had to take care of her (and for anyone who cares, she's up and walking right now), and finally...procrastination!**

**Remember people, sticks and stones my break my bones, but words will never hurt me. (Gets hit by a dictionary)**

**Ok, so I'd like to dedicate this chapter to an amazing fan of mine named Kazuki-kun is an A and an A ((blinks) you have a long name) because you just rock. Have a cookie.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, for if I did, Sasuke would have gotten some "Naruto-insta-theorpy" a long time ago.****Chapter 11**

* * *

"You'll come back right"

"Uh…"

"Just say you will, ni-san! Please!"

"_Damn puppy dog eyes…"_ "Sure."

"Yatta!"

The bridge had been completed in record time, mainly due to Naruto and his shadow clones. Once Sasuke and Kakashi had finished recovering, which was mainly due to Sakura's constant medical attention (apparently advanced first-aid was something that all kunoichi were trained in), the pair joined them in the construction. Haku and Zabuza, who had waited to see them all get back on their feet, had disappeared that same day.

But the end of the project brought the end of something else: the mission. And for Naruto and Inari (who had gotten quite close), it was hard letting go.

"Hey, Inari," the blonde said, his voice wavering, "It's ok to cry if you really want to."

"I'm not gonna cry," the smaller boy yelled back, "But Naruto-ni-san, you can go ahead and cry!"

The fox-boy turned his back in a desperate – "_and futile,"_ Sakura had added silently -attempt to hide his tears and muttered, "Me? No way…"

Team Seven followed after Naruto once their goodbyes were said. The towns people saw their silhouettes in the setting sun once last time before Tazuna spoke.

"Ya know, I think I just came up with the perfect name for the bridge," a smirk slid across his face, "We should call it The Great Naruto Bridge after-"

"Wait father," Tsunami interrupted, "You forget that it was not only Naruto that saved us, but the rest of his team as well.

"We should call it The Great Leaf Bridge…or something along the lines of that."

"Too corny!" a villager shouted from the crowds.

"Grandpa," Inari spoke up, "Didn't Kakashi mention something about the words that Team Seven would always live and breathe by: Ninja's who break the rules in this world are trash. But those who abandon their friends are even worse.

"Why don't we call it The Bridge of Comrades?"

Silence fell over the villagers as they thought about what the bridge builder's grandson had said before stating that they liked the name.

"Long live The Bridge of Comrades, the symbol of triumphs and endurance. It will become part of legend one day, just like those three genin."

* * *

The journey back to Konoha was shorter than expected, mainly due to the fact that (in Naruto's exact words, but believed by the rest of the team) they did not have a drunk old man complaining about it the entire way. The team made there way to the Hokage tower, only to be stopped short by Kakashi.

"Unlike most missions, we're going to have to report what happened," at this the genin gave him some strange looks, "That means I have to talk to sensei about Haku and Zabuza."

Needless to say, the three of them cringed.

"I want you to wait here, things are going to get a little ugly," the jonin gave them a _very_ Kakashi-like smile, before ducking inside.

Naruto looked at Sakura who glanced at Sasuke who decided that his adopted father was weird.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE MISSION WENT A-RANKED?!"

Naruto sighed, "I am soooo gunna get chewed out tonight…"

* * *

Naruto, after his father simultaneously hugged him (to make sure he was alright) and strangled him (for being so _idiotically stupid_ and going on with the mission without back up at his age), sat down to a nice bowl of instant miso ramen.

"I'm serious, Naruto!" Minato lectured, "Next time something like that happens, I want you to either come back or send a request back for assistance."

"But, Dad something happened in Nami and if I hadn't gone, I might not have discovered it!"

"Like what? What could possibly be so important that I shouldn't be-"

"Uchiha Madara is behind my attack on Konoha."

The Yellow Flash fell silent, gazing at his son with a look that showed worry and confusion.

"You said 'my attack'."

"Yes."

"Not 'Kyuubi's attack'."

"Yes."

"The Kinen Seal has weaken, hasn't it?"

"Yes."

"Tell me everything."

And he did. Naruto spoke of releasing his old chakra in the battle with Haku. He told the Hokage about his pounding headache afterwards. And in a quiet voice, the former Kyuubi told the blonde man about his disjointed memories of his past.

"I have a family out there, Dad. Eight brothers and sisters," Naruto whispered with a fond tone, "Izanagi-sama told me to find them."

Minato bit his bottom lip, "And after finding out all of this, you still call me 'Father'?"

"Of course," the younger blonde gave him the trademark family smile, "I don't remember much, but I hated the person who created us. You're a hell of a lot better as a father than he is!"

The Yondiame's face softened, "Thank you, Naruto. You have no idea how much that means to me. Now each your ramen before I eat it for you."

"Yes sir!" the whiskered boy dived into his bowl before his eyes widened, "Ah! I almost forgot! Ni-chan came to visit during my mission."

Minato raised an eyebrow at the nickname before grasping for the scroll in Naruto's hand. Biting his thumb, he swiped his blood across the seal and opened the spy's report to see his small, precise kanji.

"Shit!" he slammed his hands on the table and entering what Naruto called Hokage Mode, "Tori!"

An ANBU with a intricate, blue, bird mask appeared out of who-knows-where, "Hokage-sama?"

"Get two of your best squads ready for a retrieval mission!" the masked man nodded at his orders, "Dismissed!"

"What's going on dad? What's wrong with Itachi?" Naruto yelled in a concerned voice.

"Itachi originally had two missions," Minato explained, "The first was to be a spy in Akatsuki for Jiraiya. The second one he was to complete if things looked too dangerous to be left alone. He was to destroy the organization from the inside out and disappear. Itachi has completed his second mission."

"You don't mean…"

"Yes. Itachi wasn't in Nami no Kuni to see you. He was there to hide from Madara. We need to bring him home"

* * *

The weeks passed by and Team 7 was back on the register for getting hellish D-Rank missions. Once again they were pulling weeds, finding Tora the Cat, walking dogs, finding Tora the Cat, babysitting children, and (of course) finding Tora the Cat.

But it was not all that bad. The three genin were becoming very close friends. This was demonstrated when they ran into their old classmates. Naruto had given Ino an (according to Sasuke) Uchiha Worthy Death Glare when the blonde had attempted to glomp the dark haired boy. Sasuke had raised his voice at Shikamaru for calling the only girl on their team "Troublesome." And Sakura had given Kiba a black eye when he called Naruto a hopeless failure.

They're new friendship had been put to the test on their second C-Rank mission where Sakura had been captured by the Yakuza. Sasuke and Naruto rushed their hide out in search off her, leaving corpses of drunk men in their wake. They had found her in a small interrogating room where she had knock out her guard and picked the lock with her teeth, as she was still tied to a chair.

It had been over two weeks since that mission and Team 7 was walking home from another day of mind numbing D-Ranks. It was their common break off point, where Sasuke would take the left road, Naruto would go right to Ichiraku's, and Sakura would continue on straight.

"See you guys tomorrow," Sasuke said, giving a small wave over his shoulder, a smirk on his face.

"Ya, later Sakura-chan, teme!"

"Wait, Naruto-kun!" The blonde stopped and blushed. Naruto-kun? Sakura had never called him that before, "Do you mind if I tag along with you? To Ichiraku's, I mean."

Sasuke, watching from afar, raised an eyebrow at the girl, but smiled none the less. It was about time that the girl moved on from him.

"S-sure!" Naruto was ecstatic. A date! He was going on a date with Sakura!

"Thanks!" The pink haired girl caught up with him, hooking her arm around his and clung.

It was, for lack of a better work, great. Sakura had smiled the entire time, laughing at his jokes about their former classmates, and stared at him with wide eyes as he told her tales of the great deeds that he would do when he became Hokage. She did not bring up Sasuke, or told him how great the Uchiha was, like the other times that Naruto had attempted to ask her out.

When she asked if he would walk her home, he couldn't refuse.

"I really had fun tonight, Naruto-kun," Sakura said with a soft smile.

"I did, too, Sakura-chan," he answered.

"I've been wanting to do this for awhile, but I've never gotten the chance," she put a finger on her lips and added a seductive tone to her voice, "Sasuke's been around so much, and he's always getting in the way…"

"Sakura-chan?"

"I like you, Naruto-kun," she swayed her hips as she walked towards him, taking his hands in hers, "I really, _really_ like you."

She was in front of him, so close that the blonde was having trouble thinking straight. His last thoughts were about how this could not be possible before the girl of his dreams kissed him full on the mouth.

And then it happened.

Something shifted. The Sakura in front of him stopped smelling like cherries, her scent taking on something a lot like long dead roses. Her hair grew longer as she grew taller. This was not Sakura, it could not be Sakura. He pushed away, feeling suddenly dizzy.

The women before him was sexy, no doubt it. Long black hair fell from her scalp across creamy skin and small shoulders. He wore a skimpy red dress, accompanied with fishnet stockings and the black high heels that Naruto had seen many other older kunoichi wearing. A black ribbon was tided around her arm.

Red lips moved, forming a cruel smirk, "Got you now, demon."

And then the world went black.

* * *

Sasuke smirked when he saw Sakura approaching him on the bridge the next morning.

"Sakura, I don't' believe this. Going after the guy with the best sob story at the time."

"What are you talking about, Sasuke-kun?" she asked, "And where's Naruto? Isn't he usually here by now?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Sakura," the Uchiha smiled, "So…how was it?"

"How was what?"

"Your date!" she wasn't getting it, "With Naruto! You know: the one you went on yesterday!"

"Sasuke-kun, I wasn't here yesterday," Sakura said, a slight frown appeared on her face, "I was sick yesterday. My mom told Kakashi this."

"That's not possible," Sasuke stated, "Because you were-"

The boy did not get to finish his sentence, as Kakashi (on time for once) arrived in a puff of smoke.

"We got to go the Hokage's now," their sensei said in a voice that the had only heard him use once: in his fight with Momichi Zabuza, Demon of Kirigakure.

"Naruto didn't come home last night and there's no trace of him anywhere. You two were the last to see him. Let's go."

**And...bam! Cliffhanger of Doom (TM). Naruto's been kidnapped by some evil organization and everyone is confuzzled. That's my Word of the Week, by the way.**

**Big news, people! I've added another story called "I'll Do Anything." It's a timetravel fic that is centered around Gaara, though other people (namely Naruto, Sakura, and Itachi. Yes Itachi, that's not a typo) will come back with him. So go read it and tell me what you think.**

**Later,**

**Whitefox**


	13. Chapter 12

**I'm alive! Exam's are over, baby! WHOOT!**

**Anyways, I really don't know what happened to me when I was writing the last chapter. It was terribly written, I admit it. To make up for it though, I give you Chapter 12. Hopefully some of your questions will be answered about the identity of the mysterious woman that kidnapped Naruto.**

**Sakura, disclaimer please.**

**Sakura: Whitefox--nee-chan would like to say that while she may be saving up to buy Naruto from Kishimoto one day, she has a long way to go. Until then, she will continue to spend her free time in the stairwells at school writing chapters for your enjoyment in her blue paged notebook.**

**Whitefox: Damn straight!**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

There were a couple things on Naruto's mind when he woke up. One: he felt like complete and utter crap. Two: he was really, really, _really_ hungry. And three?

He had no idea where he was.

It was a dungeon, that he could tell. The wall he was chained to was damp and dark, illuminated only by the four torches in the corners of the square room. Large, cast iron bars blocked the only entrance to the dank cell he was in.

The strangest thing about the entire set up was the small stone table that stood dead center in the middle of the room. It was incredibly plan and it looked more like it was hastily put together at the last minute than anything that was professionally made.

"He's up," a voice rang from the outside. The sound of shinobi sandals echoed through Naruto's prison as three people came into view.

"You!" he cried, recognizing the woman who had knocked him out, "What did you do with Sakura-chan?!"

"Your pink-haired teammate is alive and well, monster," her pink tongue licked her red lips as she spoke, "We don't hurt innocents."

"Then why the hell am I chained to a wall?" the blonde boy yelled, "I don't remember doing anything to piss you guys off before!"

"He doesn't know!" the man in the farthest corner grinned hysterically. His black hair was ragged, hanging down over even blacker eyes, "Did you hear him, Gokai? The little shit doesn't know why he's here!"

"Yes, Doki, I heard," the woman (apparently this was Gokai) answered, "Now please will you shut up."

Doki smirked, muttering something about "hot babes and their egos." His hands gripped a small wooden box until his knuckles were white. Whether it was from anticipation or insanity, Naruto really did not know.

Nor did he care to find out.

"You really don't know who we are?" asked the final man. He was older than the other two, who were barely out of their teens. His scars stood out on his dark face in the candlelight. He was the only one of the three to actually pass the stone table. "Not even the slightest idea?"

Naruto decided to answer truthfully, "I did in the beginning, but when Gokai-san mentioned that you didn't want to hurt innocents, I knew that you couldn't be Iwa nin."

"I guess that would be the most obvious answer, but no. The three of us are certified Konoha nin," the scarred man crouched down to his level, "I thought that you might remember us. After all, Mizuki must of mentioned our group name."

"_Mizuki?"_ Naruto wondered, before the memory came rushing back to him.

"_The second you take your eyes off that monster, Kyuusaisha will strike! And we'll kill anyone that stands in our way! Even our foolish Yondiame Hokage!"_

"You're…you're the Kyuusaisha?"

"Yes," the old man gave him a smile that would have sent the Shinigami running in terror, "We are Konoha's Saviors, and I am their leader. You can call me Kenshiki."

"Boss!" Doki jumped up and down with a crazy grin on his face, "Boss, please can I do it now?"

"Yes," said Kenshiki, "go ahead."

The younger boy spun on the spot like a happy child before dancing over to the stone table. He placed the box in his hands on the farthest edge from Naruto.

"Do you know, demon," Gokai asked, "what Izanagi no Giri is supposed to do?"

Naruto shook his hand, not liking where this was going.

"It forms an exact copy of an already existing person, while at the same time transferring the soul of another person into the newly created body. It is so exact that if one were to do a DNA test to the two people, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. In effect, Izanagi no Giri creates a clone of a person for another persons soul to inhabit," the woman explained.

"But," Kenshiki, "it's main weakness is that the cloned body cannot stand to be close to it's original. If it is, it will begin to begin to weaken, and if it is in the same area for a long time, the clone will cease to function."

Doki shoved the box into the center of the table.

Naruto suddenly felt extremely heavy, as if he was being weighted down by several elephants. His eyes widened as he saw seals, once invisible, glow brightly on his skin before turning a permanent black.

"_What…what is this?"_ he wondered, _"The markings…they say, 'contain' and 'ningen,' and "bijuu'"_

"Fascinating," Kenshiki commented, "I've never seen the reaction in real life before…"

"Bastard," Naruto managed to get out, "What are you going to do?"

Doki laughed, "Tell him, boss! Tell the monster so we can get on to the good parts!"

Gokai laughed, "We want you to stop acting, monster. We want you to throw down the mask of the child that you pretend to be. And we will do anything to make you do it."

Kenshiki raised his fist.

"Now…tell me your name!"

* * *

"Haruno Sakura," the Yondaime Hokage looked her dead in the eye, and it was now that she realized exactly why Naruto's father was one of the most feared shinobi on the continent, "Do you know anything about where my son might be?"

Sakura shook her head, "No Hokage-sama. I was sick yesterday, so I don't know I was able to be at practice."

"Kakashi, Sasuke. Did either of you see anything with your Sharingan yesterday?" Minato asked.

"No sir," their sensei answered.

The Hokage eyes narrowed before he rose from his desk and leafed through some of the files in the cabinet. He pulled one out and Sakura was able to read the title as he brought it over.

'Suspected Threats.'

"Sasuke, Sakura, can you tell me if you know any of these people."

Before them lay three pictures. One was of an older man with scars across his face. Another looked to be right out of an asylum. And the last…

"Her," Sakura said, "I know her. That's my mother's friend, Gokai. She came over a few days ago."

"I see," the blonde said, "Sasuke, Sakura. Please leave us."

The two genin turned to the door, but the Hokage spoke up once more, "Oh, Sakura, before you leave, I need to know:

"Did your family loose anyone to the Kyuubi?"

"Of course," she answered, "everyone did. Mom's brother died. He was dad's best friend. He was the one that introduced them."

"I see. I am sorry for your loss. Please leave."

Once outside the door, the pair swung around and began to eavesdrop on the conversation inside.

"…them, Kakashi. It's Kyuusaisha."

"Can you be for certain? Who are these people?"

"They're the three heads of the organization. While their members are mostly civilians, these three are the most powerful."

There was a shuffling of paper and the scrapping of a chair as Kakashi sat down.

"This lunatic here is Doki. He suffers from SDES and can't make a conscious thought that has nothing to do with violence anymore," the voice of the Hokage traveled through the door.

"SDES?" asked Sasuke in a whispered voice.

"Severe Demonic Exposure Syndrome," Sakura explained, "Several people fell victim to it after the Kyuubi attack."

"The woman that Sakura pointed out is Gokai," Minato continued, "She was a refugee from Kiri after the Cleansing began. She's a shape shifter, but she needs the DNA of a person to turn into them. I'm guessing that she was able to turn into Sakura because she was able to get something of hers the day she when over to the Haruno residence."

"And the old man?" asked Kakashi.

"This is Kenshiki. Used to be a medic nin," there was a heavy pause, "He's the one that helped Kushina give birth to Naruto."

"Oh."

"Kakashi," the Yondaime commanded, "Gather a team of who ever we can trust. Get someone like Hiashi, or Asuma. Hell, if you gotta pull the Sandaime out of fucking retirement, do it!

"I'm not asking of this as your leader, but as the father of your student: Please, find my son."

"Hai…Minato-sensei."

"Oh," the blonde added, "Before you go, I think we should pay closer attention to Sakura's parents."

"You think they're in on it as well?"

Outside, Sakura swallowed hard.

"It's a possibility. Now go!"

With that, the masked shinobi disappeared in a poof of smoke.

Sasuke looked over at Sakura, who's complexion had taken on a hue that he had not seen since they had been attacked by Momichi Zabuza.

"We follow Team 7's nindo," he said, his voice shaking.

She nodded, "Ninja's who break the rules in this world are trash. But those who abandon their friends are even worse."

* * *

The pair of them were sprinting through Team Seven's training ground when Sasuke realized something.

"Sakura," he said, "What were your parents reactions when you told them about Naruto being on our team?"

She looked at the ground, almost uncomfortably, "Mom flipped out. She kept saying that she wouldn't have me on the same team as Naruto. She called him lots of names, like monster…and freak and…" she trailed off.

"And what?" the Uchiha pressed.

"She…she called Naruto 'Kyuubi-brat.'"

"Kyuubi," he wondered out loud, "Kyuubi…Why does everything come back to that?"

"What do you mean, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked.

"Naruto was born on October 10th, right? The day that Kyuubi attacked," he continued, "One of the people that was in that file was there to help Naruto's mother while she was in labour. Another suffers from SDES, something that people got when-"

Sakura cut him off, "they were to close to the Kyuubi!"

"Exactly! And Hokage-sama! He specifically asked you if your family lost anyone that day. Your mother freaks out when you tells her that Naruto's on your team and calls him 'Kyuubi-brat,'" Sasuke paused to take a breath, "This can't just be a coincidence, Sakura."

"Remember, during the mission in Nami," the pink haired girl added, "when Naruto lost it in front of Inari. He said that people beat him up on his birthday because the whisker marks on his cheeks make him look like the Kyuubi."

The Uchiha shook his head, "People aren't that stupid, Sakura. They would need a bigger reason to mob a little kid like he's some kind off monster."

Something clicked.

"The day we got put into teams, Naruto tried to punch you cause you called him a monster."

She coughed and looked away, "I said that I was sorry…"

"I know you are," he tried to comfort her, "But the night before, Naruto when on a B-Rank mission that had something to do with Mizuki's disappearance. The next day, Naruto walks in and he's practically depressed. I've _never_ seen him act like that before.

"Something big is going on, Sakura. Something S-classed conspiracy big. While we may not know the details of it, the moment we overheard dad's and Hokage-sama's conversation we stumbled into some kind of quiet civil war revolving around Naruto and Kyuubi no Kitsune."

Sakura added on, "The only way we're going to get any information is to find Naruto before Kakashi-sensei does. But our team is build for the front lines, not tracking."

"So we'll find one that it," Sasuke said, "Sakura, do you know where Hinata and her team usually hang out?"

* * *

**Gasp! Naruto's captured by the Kyuusaisha, his dad is worried, Sasuke and Sakura are now in search of answers to questions they don't even have...It's gonna be a bad day at the office when all things are said and down.**

**Comments are appreciated. Questions are welcomed. Creepy shrines in your closet...will leave me dazed and confused...**

**Later,**

**Whitefox**


	14. Chapter 13

**I return! School's been a little crazy the past week and I haven't had a lot of time to write, so sorry about the delay.**

**Anyways, recap: Last chapter Naruto wakes up to find he is in the hands of Kyuusaisha, the Yondaime tells Kakashi to form a team of trusted jonin, and Sasuke and Sakura set out to find Team 8.**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I want to, though. Just because.**

* * *

Chapter 13

"Come to give me another black eye, Haruno?" Kiba growled. Team 8's members sat in various positions across the forest floor.

"Though I'd love to, Kiba," Sakura replied with equal sarcasm, "We've got bigger problems. Where's your sensei?"

Shino answered that question, "Kurenai-sensei was called out on a mission a few days ago. Why do you ask…and where is Naruto?"

There was a pregnant pause as Sakura and Sasuke glanced at each other out of the corners of their eyes, silently deciding on what would be told and what would be left out.

"Naruto didn't make it home last night," the Uchiha explained, ignoring the startled gasp from the Hyuuga heiress, "The Hokage's got dad pulling together a team of people he can trust as we speak, but we don't know if he can get the people he needs in time."

"P-people he can…trust?" Hinata stuttered, "You mean…Naruto-kun was captured by…"

"People on the inside," Sakura finished the girl's sentence, "Yah. Specifically they're a group of people going by the name of Kyuusaisha."

"Kyuusaisha? As in 'Savour'? I've never heard of them before," said the Aburame, "But how could they-"

"How they kidnapped our teammate is not important right now!" yelled Sasuke, "The point is that Naruto is missing, no one is telling us anything, and we need to find him fast. Team 7's a combat team, we don't do tracking. Not well at least. A blind man could see what your team was created for."

"So you're asking us," Kiba asked, "to team up with you on a mission that you've just given yourself based on half truths and a shit load of lies, track down your teammate who's been kidnapped by a group of people that you have no intel on _at all_, and possibly get involved in several life-or-death experiences?"

Sakura winced at the bluntness of the Inuzuka's words, "Pretty much."

There was another silence, tenser than the last, as Team 8 made their decision.

Shino sighed, "We're in."

"Kiba-kun and A-Akamaru will need something…of Naruto-kun's to f-find him," Hinata said.

Sasuke smirked before tossing the girl a familiar black shirt with an orange spiral on the front, causing her face to turn a new shade of red.

"Way ahead of you."

* * *

"I'm telling you, you uptight noble, that I need to see Hiashi NOW!" Kakashi all but ordered.

"And I'm telling you that Hiashi-sama is in the middle of a very important clan meeting and is not to be disturbed!" the young Hyuuga branch member countered, "When he is finished, I will inform him that you wish to speak with him and – hey! You can't go back there!"

But the former-ANBU was already dashing down the hallway away from the enraged boy, scrambling around the tight corners of the estate like a wolf on the hunt. Finally reaching the door he needed, Kakashi yanked it open and entered with the subtle grace of an earthquake.

"Hiashi! We've got a-"

"What is the meaning of this?" one elder asked.

"Hatake, you better have a good explanation," another muttered.

"That's Hiashi-sama to you, boy" an older woman stood up.

"I'm sorry," the branch member from before entered the room, "I tried to stop him but-"

"Branch member," a young man ordered, "Know your place! Speak only when spoken to!"

"Silence!" the Hyuuga clan head spoke with a voice of rolling thunder, "Let the man speak. I'm sure Kakashi-san has a good reason."

All eyes fell on the masked man before he spoke, "They made their move, Hiashi. They said they'd make their move if we took our eyes off him, even for a moment, and they did."

A look of horror fell upon the Clan Head's face as he slowly came to realize what Kakashi was talking about, "Don't tell me…"

"They've got him; took him last night in the guise of one of his teammates. They practically told us they would be coming for him and we weren't ready."

Hiashi stood and turned to leave, but not before saying, "This meeting is adjourned and the matter will be talked about on a later date."

The elder woman spoke, "But Hiashi-sama, who's been taken? The matter at hand is far more pressing-"

"Concerning Hyuuga Neji, the branch member who has surpassed both of my children, tell him that I say 'Congratulations,'" Hiashi ordered, "The identity of the person who has been taken is none of your business, so if you will excuse me, I have more important things to attend to.

"Let's go, Kakashi."

And with that, the two left.

* * *

Not many know this, but not all of Konoha's fallen heroes' names are engraved on the memorial stone. There is one person that is missing on that statue.

Her name is Uzumaki Kushina.

Her name resides on a different stone, just outside of Konoha's walls. It is her gravestone, though not hers alone, and she is buried on the exact spot where her fiancé, Yondiame Hokage Namikaze Minato, defeated the Kyuubi no Kitsune twelve years ago.

The exact spot where Minato stood now.

"I wish you could have lived to see him grow up, Kushina-chan," the blonde man whispered, "He's a lot like you, just like you said he'd be. He's all fire and wind and chaos, but at the same time he's cool, calm and controlled."

The Hokage let his fingers trace over the kanji on the stone, "Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if everything had gone right all those years ago. I wonder what his life would have been like as a jinchuuriki. I wonder if he'd hate me for what I would have done to him.

"I wonder if they'd both hate me.

"But I can't rewrite the past, and even if I could, I probably wouldn't anyways. Naruto's my son – our son, and I want him to grow up to be Hokage, get married, and have kids and grandkids running all over the place."

Minato gave a sad sigh, "I just want him to be happy.

"The kinen seal is failing and his memories are returning to him and you were right all along. He's just a kid looking for his family. He's got eight brothers and sisters out there, you know. I haven't got the slightest clue as to where the other bijuu are now, but I'll help him find them."

Tears fell to the ground, dampening the earth beneath the Hokage's feet.

"He's gonna be fine. Naruto's gonna come back. He's gotta come back.

"I don't want to loose anyone else…"

Minato wiped his eyes before pulling out a rose – red, just like her hair – and placed in on the ground before her grave, turning to go and…

"_Wait…"_

The dirt in front of the marker was fresh and upturned, like someone had been digging.

Digging.

At Kushina and _his_ grave.

"_Oh…my…god…"_

* * *

The sound of flesh hitting flesh sounded through out the room, followed closely by a cry of pain.

"I asked you a question demon!" Kenshiki shouted, "What is your name?"

"I told you already: My name is Uzumaki Naruto, bastard!"

Chained to a wall, covered in bruises and cuts (why the hell was he not healing?), Naruto's will refused to break. They had tried beating the answer out of him first. Then there had been kunai. The old man apparently was a medic-nin, so a couple of his tendons were pretty much shot right now.

And they kept asking him that question; over and over "What is your name?"

He kept telling them the answer, Uzumaki Naruto.

Before there had been no name, but they did not need to know that.

Gokai sneered, "Move it closer Doki."

Naruto did not need to see the boy to know that the insane smile was there as he slid the box closer across the table. The blonde coughed up blood, knowing that his lungs would start shutting down soon. Kenshiki had already informed him that his liver had all but stopped working.

"Come on, freak," Doki yelled, "Say it! Say your real name, just once for us. Pppppplllllllleeeeeaaaaaasssssssseeeeeee?"

In response, Naruto sent a well aimed ball of spit and blood his way.

"BASTARD!" the dark haired boy snapped, barely restrained by the beautiful woman in the back, "LET ME AT EM', BOSS! I WANNA RIP HIS HEAD OFF AND STICK IT ON A POLL FOR HIS PRECIOUS FATHER TO SEE!"

"ENOUGH DOKI!" Kenshiki ordered. This had not been the first time the lunatic had lost it today, "DO AS I SAY OR-"The man stiffened and glanced at the door.

"What is it, Kenshiki?" Gokai asked.

"It seems like the Hokage works fast," the older man mumbled, "The seal at the front has been tripped. You two go find out why. Kill anyone who's not with us."

That brought Doki back to the real world, but Gokai hesitated, "And if they are children, sir, and unaware of the monster that lurks among them?"

"I told you to kill them, girl. I didn't say to give them a speech."

"Hai."

And with that the two left the room.

"Now where was I? Ah yes, your name demon, what is it?"

"Uzu…maki N-Naruto-Arg!"

Kenshiki rolled his eyes and lowered his fist once more, "You know if you tell me, I'll let them go. I'll let the ones who have come to save you go."

The blonde looked at the man, looked him dead in the eyes, and knew he was lying. He had sent Gokai and Doki out to kill and there was no coming back from it. But…

Naruto recognized those scents, even through a bloody nose; the scents of two people that he would trust his life to. And they had come for him because…because they…

They cared.

"I…I hope y-you weren't r-really…attached…to t-those two," Naruto smirked.

"And why is that?"

"Because…because y-you've pissed o-off my team. Y-your friends ain't c-coming back!"

* * *

"Sasuke-kun? What's wrong?" Sakura asked, touching the raven arm.

"This place was my family's home," he answered, "This is where I lived before my clan…died."

Team 7 and 8 stood in the middle of the abandoned Uchiha sector, the only remnant of a clan that had fallen to its own creator. After learning the truth about his family's massacre from Itachi himself, Sasuke had sworn to never go back into the area again.

He had to break that promise, though, to rescue his friend.

"Hinata," asked Kiba, "Can you find Naruto?"

The girl nodded, before activating her bloodline with a wave of chakra, "Byakugan!"

There was a moment of quiet before she gasped, "Naruto-kun!"

"You found him?" Sakura asked, "Where?"

"He's on one of the lower levels, but…"

"But what?" the Uchiha pressed.

"Something is…w-wrong with him," she answered, "I-I can't tell…if it's a p-poison or n-not…but h-his body's sh-shutting down!"

"Shit, these guys are serious," Kiba muttered, "What did Naruto do to piss these guys off?"

"Sasuke," the Aburame asked, "You said you used to live here. Can you direct us to Naruto?"

"Yah," the Uchiha said, activating his Sharingan.

He knew the house like the back of his hand even though he had not stepped foot in it for years. Guiding the others through the inner hallways of the compound was an easy task. Too easy in fact.

"Oh man," Sasuke muttered, "We just activated a seal."

Behind him, a variety of choice words sounded.

"What do we do now, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked.

"Now you die."

They whipped their heads around and came face to face with two of the three people that had been in the file labelled 'Suspected Threats.'

"Genin?" the boy with dark hair and eyes asked, "The Hokage actually sent genin after him?"

"Has the man gone senile?" asked the woman.

Akamaru growled, followed closely by his master, "Don't talk bad about Hokage-sama!"

"Poor little puppy, all bark and no bite," she taunted.

"Gokai! Gokai, can I have the Hyuuga girl?" the boy asked the question like how a child would ask his mother for its favourite toy.

"Doki, why do you want her? She's not even that pretty…" Gokai trailed off.

Doki smiled, "Cause I can tell she's a screamer. She's gonna scream so much when I rip out her heart!"

"Sasuke, Sakura, you two go on ahead," Shino ordered, "We'll handle these two."

"What?" the Uchiha exclaimed, "That's crazy, we're staying."

"No you aren't," Kiba said, "Naruto's your teammate, you go after him. Besides, these two just threatened Hinata-chan. There's no way we're backing down now."

"You done talking," Doki threatened, "Cause I'm done waiting!" He charged down the hallway, insane laughter spilling from his lips.

"GO NOW!"

Kiba and his ever faithful dog leapt for the incoming dark haired missile with sharp claws and even sharper teeth. Hinata ran with glowing hands towards Gokai as Sasuke grabbed his pink haired teammate and wove in between the two fighters. The woman turned to block their way, but was stopped by a wall of insects.

"Your fight is with us," Hinata said, all traces of fear gone from her voice. Shino, who stood beside her, remained quiet and unmoving.

Gokai smirked, "Fine. You brats want to fight so bad, bring it on. There are worse things where they're going."

* * *

**Dun dun dun. Team 8 has taken it upon them selve to take of Gokai and Doki, while Team 7 heads deaper into Sasuke's old house now turned Kyuusaisha lair. As they head out of the frying pan, what will await them in the fire? Meanwhile, Kakashi is trying to gather a team, but people are stopping him at every turn. Will he get to his student in time?**

**I've always wanted to do something like that...**

**Anyways, I actually do have a preview for you this time:**

_"What is it, Sakura?" shouted the Uchiha, "What does it say?"_

_"It's a death certificate," she answered, fear evident in her voice, "Dated October 10th, twelve years ago. It's for...Uzumaki Naruto..."_

**Later,**

**Whitfox**

**PS I've been reading a couple fanfictions lately and I'm wondering: is Akira the Canon name for the green haired Jinchuuriki, or is it a Fandom name? I'm not sure...Can someone tell me?**


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